Achieve your study ambitions—apply for a scholarship. We offer thousands of scholarships to new and current students each year.
Find a scholarship
Search our database to find a scholarship that’s right for you. Scholarships are available at all levels of study and based on a variety of criteria.
Undergraduate scholarships
Find scholarships for undergraduate students—from school leavers and first-year students to those already part of the way through a Bachelor’s degree.
Postgraduate and doctoral scholarships
Gain an overview of postgraduate awards, including Honours, Master’s, and doctoral (PhD) scholarships.
More scholarship opportunities
- Universities NZ Universities NZ manage a range of national scholarship programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
- TeachNZ TeachNZ scholarships support future teachers by covering the cost of your course fees and paying you an allowance.
- givME givME is a database of scholarships, awards and grants. You can usually access this subscription-based database for free at your school or public library.
How to apply
Find out how to apply for scholarships, from choosing a suitable award to what happens after submitting an application.
Selecting a scholarship
Use our scholarships database to find a scholarship that’s right for you. Before you start an application, carefully check the scholarship’s details to make sure you meet the eligibility criteria. We recommend double-checking the scholarship’s closing date and time too, so you’re certain about when you’ll need to apply.
If you’re an international or mature student, don’t rule out a scholarship until you’ve looked at the criteria—you’re eligible to apply for all scholarships that do not specify that you would be ineligible.
There is no limit to how many scholarships you can apply for. However, if you’re awarded more than one, you’ll need to check each scholarship’s regulations to confirm you can hold them at the same time.
Accessing the application form
Once you find a scholarship you’d like to apply for, look for the ‘Apply online’ link in the scholarship’s details. This link is usually available a month before the closing date. You can apply for all scholarships online this way.
The details will also tell you what supporting documentation you’ll need to upload with your application, such as references and personal statements.
When you select ‘Apply online’, you’ll be directed to the online application system, called CommunityForce. If you are using this system for the first time, you’ll need to create an account before you can apply for a scholarship.
If you’re a current student, be sure to match your preferred email address on CommunityForce with your Student Records email address.
Completing your application
The application system uses a dashboard with icons that turn green and show 100% once you have completed them. You also have the option to import data from previous applications by selecting ‘Import responses from existing applications’. Review the imported data and change anything that isn’t relevant for the application you are currently working on.
Each section of your application needs to be showing 100% completion before you can submit.
Don’t miss the final step—select ‘Submit’ in the top right hand corner to finalise your application.
Afterwards, you’ll receive an email confirming your application was successfully submitted. If at any time you decide not to proceed, simply delete the application from your ‘My applications’ tab.
Late, incomplete, or unsubmitted applications will not be accepted.
After you’ve submitted
Once you have created an account and applied for a scholarship, all correspondence regarding your application will come from [email protected]. You will be notified by email about the status of your application.
It’s a good idea to add this email address to your safe senders list to ensure you don’t miss any important information about your application. This is particularly relevant to Hotmail or Outlook users.
For more information about using CommunityForce, visit their support portal.
Further assistance
If you have further questions, or need help putting your application together, the Scholarships Office are here to help.
Contact the Scholarships Office.