University of Auckland Waka Moana and Vaka Moana Scholarships
These scholarships are awarded to Māori and Pacific students attending university for the first time.
Value
Value
- one year of catered accommodation in a Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland Hall of Residence
- a laptop supplied by Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, which is yours to keep
Accommodation benefits
- Each Hall offers catering, your own room, a range of activities and events, academic mentoring programmes and pastoral care.
- Free membership to the University Recreation facilities on the City Campus
Am I eligible?
Waka Moana Scholarship
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- a New Zealand Māori student
- a New Zealand Citizen or Permanent Resident
- currently enrolled in your final year of study at a New Zealand secondary school or kura
- intending to enrol at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland next year in either an undergraduate degree or a Tertiary Foundation Certificate or Certificate in Health Sciences followed by an undergraduate degree in the following year (or taking a gap year in 2025 and planning to enrol in 2026).
Vaka Moana Scholarship
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- an Indigenous Pacific student
- a New Zealand Citizen or Permanent Resident
- currently enrolled in your final year of study at a New Zealand secondary school or kura
- intending to enrol at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland next year in either an undergraduate degree or a Tertiary Foundation Certificate or Certificate in Health Sciences followed by an undergraduate degree in the following year (or taking a gap year in 2025 and planning to enrol in 2026).
Applying for a scholarship
In the application form you will be asked to tell us about you and your recent education and extracurricular activities. This will include:
- Whether you have participated in Māori performing arts
- Whether you competed in the finals of academic, sporting or arts competitions
- Whether you held senior leadership positions at schoolIf you have been awarded a community-based honour or attended leadership training or personal development programmes
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland acknowledges that some talented students may face significant barriers to tertiary education and takes into account if you:
- have demonstrated financial need
- have attended a lower-decile school
- are from a refugee background
- have a disability
- have care responsibilities for whānau
- live, or attend school or kura, in a rural area
- If you are the first in your family to attend university
You can find more information in the regulations (see below), or on the Am I eligible? page.
Remember to save your application as you go, and once all sections are 100% completed you can submit your application.
How are my academic results assessed?
We look at the number of Excellence credits you attained at NCEA Level 2 or 3 last year, or your CIE average from last year, or your predicted score for IB for this year.