Applications for the main Univerity of Otago undergraduate scholarships for new students starting in 2013 have now closed.
Scholarship application results will be sent to applicants in early October 2012.
Other scholarships for new students can be viewed elsewhere on this website.
- Important general scholarship information
- Key dates
- Available scholarships
- Alumni scholarships - additional documentation
- Referee requirements
- Important note for Christchurch students affected by Christchurch earthquakes
- Note for International Baccalaureate students
- What if I'm studying some university papers while at school?
- Apply online
- Further information
Important general scholarship information
- Application for multiple scholarships is acceptable, however, please check application criteria before applying for a scholarship (see the summary of scholarships available and specific scholarship regulations) to ensure that you are eligible.
- All scholarships in this suite of scholarships are only available to New Zealand citizens and permanent residents.
- It is strongly recommended you prepare any required statements for particular scholarships offline before starting the online application process (see the summary of scholarships available for more information).
- All scholarships require nomination of referees (see further information on referees below).
- If you are studying under NCEA you do not need to provide academic transcripts or record of learning, but you will need to provide your NSN number (your results will be accessed by the University of Otago through NZQA). Please have you NSN number on hand when completing the online application.
- If you are studying under a system other than NCEA (e.g. Cambridge International Examinations or the International Baccalaureate) you will need to provide certified or original copies of your record at high school (Year 11 and above) or at tertiary level. Note however that this is not required when completing the online part of the application.
- Paper documentation, which will be requested when you complete the online application, is due to the University of Otago Doctoral and Scholarships Office by 17 August (see key dates below).
Key dates
- Mid-June: applications open for scholarships
- August 15: online applications close
- August 17: last day for receiving signed paper declarations and associated documents (e.g. transcripts and additional documentation for Alumni scholarships)
- September 3: references for students short listed for the Academic Excellence and Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarships due from schools
- Late September/early October: scholarship selection committees meet
- October 8: decision letters sent to applicants
- November 5: deadline for accepting scholarship offers
Available scholarships
It is recommented you download a summary of the scholarships available requirements, including value, number of awards offered and application requirements. The specific regulations for each of the available scholarships may be downloaded below.
- University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship. Scholarship awarded on the basis of academic excellence and leadership.
- Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship. Scholarship awarded on the basis of leadership and academic performance.
- Māori and Pacific Island Entrance Scholarship regulations. Scholarship awarded on the basis of academic ability and community involvement.
- Performance Scholarship regulations. Scholarship awarded on the basis of elite level performance in a sporting or cultural activity and academic performance.
- Alumni Appeal Scholarship regulations. Scholarship awarded on the basis of financial need and academic performance.
- Alumni Disability Support Scholarship regulations. Scholarship awarded on the basis of financial need arising from disability and academic performance.
Information on other scholarships for first year study at Otago, including scholarships relating to specific subject areas, is available elsewhere on this website.
Alumni scholarships - additional documentation
If applying for the University of Otago Alumni Appeal Scholarship and/or the University of Otago Alumni Disability Support Scholarship, you will need to provide declarations of your assets and income, as well as declarations of the assets and incomes of relevant relatives and/or your partner. In addition, if applying for the Alumni Disability Support Scholarship you will need to provide a signed statement or statement from a suitably qualified specialist (or specialists) confirming your disability/disabilities.
- Download the Applicant Asset and Income Declaration Form. To be completed by all applicants for the Alumni-funded scholarships.
- Download the Relative Asset and Income Declaration Form. Separate forms to be completed by relatives and/or the partner of the applicant; instructions on who will need to complete this are included in the Applicant Asset and Income Declaration Form.
- Download the Trust Declaration Form. Separate forms to be completed for Trust funds relating to the applicant and/or their family members or partner; instructions are contained in the other forms.
Referee requirements
For some scholarships the University will seek references from referees as a matter of course, for others, references will only be sought if students are shortlisted for award, while in other cases, references might only be sought if it is deemed necessary to confirm some part of the applicant’s application.
If you are currently at a New Zealand high school, you are on exchange from a New Zealand High School, or you completed your schooling at a New Zealand high school within the last two years, you do not need to provide referees details, as the University will seek references directly from your school. To assist with this process, you will be asked to provide the name of a teacher at your school who you feel knows you well.
- Download the list of New Zealand schools from which references will be directly sought. Note, when entering your school into the online application it is essential the name is spelt and formatted exactly as in the list to allow automatic reference requests. As you start to type, your school should appear on a drop down list; we strongly recommend clicking on the name of the school in the drop down list to ensure correct spelling.
If you completed your schooling more than two years ago or you are studying or studied at a high school not on the list above, for example an overseas high school, you will need to provide us with referee details. Information on who can be referees for each scholarship is provided in the scholarship regulations, but generally we would recommend a senior school representative, such as a principal or deputy principal, or equivalent. It is acceptable to use the same referee for all scholarships for which you apply, or different referees for each scholarship. Requests to referees will be sent automatically from the online system, so it is essential that their email addresses are entered correctly. This is your responsibility! Applications cannot be considered for scholarships if we do not receive information from referees. It is also your responsibility to ensure that referees have agreed to provide references for you; please provide them with the information sheet below when requesting that they act as your referee. Note that you do not need to contact referees further after entering their email details into the online application system.
- Download the referee information sheet detailing what is required from referees for each scholarship.
Important note for Christchurch students affected by earthquakes
If you have primarily studied in Christchurch and you feel the earthquakes have negatively affected your studies, please prepare a short statement (no more than 250 words) explaining this and attach it to your paper documentation, to be sent once the online application is completed. Please refer in this statement to the particular effects of the earthquakes on you and to the specific study periods affected. Please also sign and date the statement and have it counter-signed by another party who can confirm your statement and who is not a family member; this person should also state their relationship to you under their signature and name – a school representative would be ideal. These statements will be taken into account in scholarship decision making and will be provided to selection committees as appropriate. Statements will be kept confidential to selection committees and staff involved in the administration of scholarships.
Note for International Baccalaureate students
If you are studying towards the International Baccalaureate, but are yet to complete, you will not have final official grades. In this case we ask that you provide any grading information that you do have at the time of application. We will also either directly contact your school for predicted grade information or contact you to provide the details of a school representative who can advise on this.
What if I'm studying some university papers while at school?
To be eligible for a University of Otago entrance scholarship you must be planning to study towards an undergraduate degree at the University of Otago for the first time in 2013. However we recognise that sometimes school students will take University of Otago papers alongside school study; if you are in this situation, you will still be eligible for consideration for an entrance scholarships so long as:
- You are still currently attending school.
- The papers you are taking are not part of a University of Otago degree qualification, but are being taken as “Certificate of Proficiency’ papers or equivalent.
- You have not gained University Entrance, but have been admitted to the University under the “Discretionary Entrance” category.
If you are unsure whether you are eligible or not, please contact us for more information.
Apply online
Applications for the main Univerity of Otago undergraduate scholarships for new students starting in 2013 have now closed.
Scholarship application results will be sent to applicants in early October 2012.
Other scholarships for new students can be viewed elsewhere on this website
Further information
For further information, or if you are experiencing any difficulties with the online application, please email scholarships@otago.ac.nz
