Brief Description:

To apply for this scholarship, please use the UC Incoming First-Year Scholarships 2027 application form. Applications open 11 June 2026 and close 6 August 2026

This scholarship recognises and supports undergraduate students who demonstrate alignment to UC’s commitment to producing students who are engaged, empowered, and prepared to make a difference, as they begin their studies at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury in the 150th year of the University. The scholarship aims to broaden the pool of students who receive financial support from the University, by recognising applicants with a demonstrated and significant commitment to creating positive change in the world.

Value/Benefits:
a. Tuition fees for courses in an undergraduate degree programme, for up to 135 points of enrolment per annum during the academic year and the summer school period. This includes the standard undergraduate course loading of 120 points, but it also allows for, in each year of tenure, the taking of one additional course (which must count towards the degree plan) or for a single resit. It does not cover other costs, such as the Student Services Levy (SSL)
b. Participation in the Te Kakau a Māui Programme, a bespoke mentoring and development programme

Level of Study: Incoming First-Year Undergraduate

Closing Date: 11:59 pm (NZT) 7 August* (Applications open approximately 8 weeks before this date.)

*If the 7th falls on a Friday or Saturday, the closing day will change as follows:

If it is a Friday, the closing date will shift to Thursday, 6th August
If it is a Saturday, the closing date will shift to Sunday, 8th August

Tenure: Three years in the case of three-year bachelor’s programmes, and four years in the case of four-year bachelor’s programmes

Number Available Annually: Determined annually

Applicable Enrolment During Tenure: The scholarship is tenable during full-time enrolment in an undergraduate degree programme

Citizenship/Residency Requirements: Must be a citizen of New Zealand, or hold a New Zealand residence class visa

Special Requirements:
a. Applicants must be eligible to receive StudyLink Student Allowance and recipients must be in receipt of a Student Allowance
b. In the year of application, applicants must have attended school in the Canterbury region

For more information, please read the regulations for this award: click here.

Description:

Application Information:

Selection will be based on:

commitment to creating positive change in the world, aligned to UC's commitment to grow students who are prepared to make a difference. Positive change in the world can include cultural, economic, environmental, political, and/or social gains;
engagement with the community who will benefit from the desired positive change in the world, aligned to UC's commitment to grow students who are engaged: and
personal resilience and fortitude necessary to complete an undergraduate degree, aligned to UC's commitment to grow students who are empowered.

Criteria are given equal consideration.

Special Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must be eligible to receive StudyLink Student Allowance and recipients must be in receipt of a Student Allowance.

In the year of application, applicants must have attended school in the Canterbury region.

Additional Information:

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury established the scholarship in 2022 to mark the 150th anniversary of the University’s establishment.

The scholarship’s name, Te Kakau a Māui Scholarship, is inspired by the many feats and achievements that the Polynesian demi-god Māui achieved. Despite the trials and tribulations that Māui faced as the pōtiki amongst his siblings, his notoriety as a troublemaker, his superhero deeds, and the impact he had on society as a change-maker have been recorded in oral traditions right across the vast Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Pacific Ocean. Many of the narratives of Māui and his deeds mention the different tools that he used, with a kakau (hafted handle of a toki ) being one. Despite being just a handle, the kakau had other tools from a variety of materials lashed to it, based on the needs of Māui at the time. The kakau was so important to Māui that it has also been recorded in our night sky, with Te Kakau a Māui being one name associated with the constellation Orion.

In alignment with the wider narratives of the stars and navigation incorporated across Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, Te Kakau a Māui Scholarship was selected as an ideal name for the scholarship that commemorates the 150th anniversary of the founding of the University. Similarities can be drawn between Māui and many of our students, as well as between a kakau and a scholarship. Like Māui, many of our students will have to overcome trials and tribulations to achieve their dreams and aspirations. Some will be the first in their whānau to pursue tertiary studies. And a scholarship can be likened to a tool, such as a kakau, that enables students to achieve those dreams and aspirations. As opposed to giving students a set of exquisitely crafted tools to enable their success, providing a toki handle signifies the need for students to take ownership of their journey, to use it wisely, and, most importantly, to treat the scholarship as a hand-up, not a hand-out.

Contact Information:

For questions about this application, please contact Scholarships Office at scholarships@canterbury.ac.nz

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