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Eligibility

Question:

I am a New Zealand Citizen or Permanent Resident, but I have been at a high school overseas recently. Can I apply?

Answer:

Yes, so long as you meet other eligibility criteria.

Please refer to the eligibility criteria of each scholarship you wish to apply for.

Question:

I am not a New Zealand Citizen, New Zealand Residence Class visa holder, Australian Citizen or Australian Permanent Resident. Can I apply?

Answer:

Possibly. If you have completed Year 12 and/or have completed, or are in the process of completing, Year 13 at a New Zealand school (or an equivalent foundation level course at a New Zealand tertiary institution) you can apply.

Question:

I am an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident. Can I apply?

Answer:

Yes, so long as you meet other eligibility criteria. A reciprocal agreement between the New Zealand and Australian governments enables Australian citizens and permanent residents studying in New Zealand to be classified as domestic students.

Question:

I left school some years ago. Can I apply?

Answer:

Yes, so long as you meet other eligibility criteria.

Please refer to the eligibility criteria of each scholarship you wish to apply for.

Question:

I'm considering going on a gap year after I finish school. Do I apply now or when I come back?

Answer:

It is up to you. You can apply whilst still on a gap year as long as you meet the other eligibility criteria and did not study at degree-level.

One advantage to applying whilst still at school is that we may contact your school for more information regarding your application. It is easier for this information to be provided for school leavers rather than students who left some time ago.

If your application is successful and you are awarded a scholarship, it may be possible to request a deferral for up to one year. This means you can have a gap year and be assured that a scholarship is waiting for you when you apply for study the following year.

See deferring a scholarship

Question:

I am part of an accelerated programme at my school and have been studying some university papers this year. Can I apply?

Answer:

Yes, so long as you have not gained admission to a degree programme at any University or tertiary institution.

If you studied papers at the University of Otago the scholarships "Apply now" button will not automatically appear, so you will need to contact us with your full name and Otago student ID number by email to entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz when you have completed the Educational Background questions in your eVision portal.

Question:

I am a Pathway | Te Huarahi student affiliated with the University of Otago. Can I apply?

Answer:

Yes, so long as you meet other eligibility criteria (Pathway │ Te Huarahi is considered to be prior to the first year of University study).

Please refer to the eligibility criteria of each scholarship you wish to apply for.

The scholarships "Apply now" button may not automatically appear, so you will need to contact us with your full name and Otago student ID number by email to entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz when you have completed the Educational Background questions in your eVision portal.

Question:

I have previously completed tertiary study at a Polytechnic, but now wish to embark on university study. Can I apply?

Answer:

Possibly. Applications are not normally open to those who have studied more than 0.4 EFTs at any University or tertiary institution at degree-level or higher. If you have not studied at degree-level or higher then you may apply, so long as you meet other eligibility criteria.

Please refer to the eligibility criteria of each scholarship you wish to apply for.

Question:

I have previously completed tertiary study at another university, but now want to complete further undergraduate study at the University of Otago (I have not studied at Otago before). Can I apply?

Answer:

Maybe. The intention of these scholarships is to support students who are coming to university for the first time and are studying at first-year, 100-level. Applications are not normally open to those who have studied more than 0.4 EFTs at any University or tertiary institution at degree-level or higher.

If you believe you may have completed less than 0.4 EFTS of degree-level study or are unsure what level of study you completed, you are welcome to email your transcript to us at entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz and we will assess your eligibility

Question:

I have previously completed tertiary study at another university, and now want to enrol at the University of Otago for the first time in order to complete a postgraduate qualification. Can I apply?

Answer:

No. See here for further information on postgraduate scholarship options.

Question:

Do I need to prove eligibility for the Māori Entrance Scholarships or the Pacific Peoples' Entrance Scholarships?

Answer:

Yes. If you are successful in being awarded either of these scholarships, you must complete the University's ancestry verification process to be eligible to receive payment of the scholarship offered to you. Your offer letter would specify a date that this task would need to be completed by.

Please note that you do not need to have your ancestry verified by the time that applications close. We do, however, recommend that you start this process as soon as possible and aim to be verified by the time you start at the university.

Question:

I am not from a particularly disadvantaged background, but I know university is going to put some financial strain on me. Should I apply for the entrance scholarships for those whose financial circumstances make going to university difficult?

Answer:

No. While we recognise that tertiary education can be expensive, these scholarships are particularly for students whose financial circumstances present a much greater barrier to tertiary education than is usual for the majority of students.

Question:

Is there an income limit for the entrance scholarships for those with financial hardship?

Answer:

No. There is no income bracket for students wishing to be considered for scholarships such as the 150th/Alumni Appeal etc.

Question:

How many excellence credits do I need to be considered for the Academic Excellence Scholarship?

Answer:

We do not advise the number of Excellence credits that are required to be considered for this scholarship, as the figure is raised or lowered each year depending on the standard of other applicants. It is important to note that for consideration for this scholarship, we also look for students with demonstrated leadership capabilities both in school and in the community.

As a general rule, applicants who receive Academic Excellence Scholarships would be in the top 1% of all students academically. This means that this scholarship is very competitive.

Question:

I wish to apply for an entrance scholarship with high performance in sport or cultural involvement as the criteria, but I won't be studying in my performance area at university. Can I apply?

Answer:

Yes. You don't need to be studying in your area of performance to apply, although this can be an advantage in some areas (for example performance music), where it can demonstrate an on-going commitment to your area of performance.

Question:

I wish to apply for an entrance scholarship with high performance in sport or cultural involvement as the criteria, but I won't be continuing in my performance area at university. Can I apply?

Answer:

Yes. If you intend to apply based on your high performance in sport and are subsequently successful in being awarded either a Performance or Callis Trust Performance Scholarship, it is not mandatory for you to continue with your sport. However, you must engage with the relevant University of Otago sporting club and give due consideration to playing for that club in preference to any other.

Question:

Do I have to enrol in a course before applying for scholarships?

Answer:

Yes. You must have completed the first stages of enrolment at the University of Otago to access the online entrance scholarship application. We do not require you to have picked your major or minor, but you do need to be enrolled in a valid undergraduate programme.

Even if you do not know exactly which course you wish to study, as long as you choose a valid programme of study, you can access the scholarship application portal and change your course at a later date.

Apply for study at the University of Otago now.

Information on how to apply for entrance scholarships.

Question:

Am I eligible for scholarships if I study Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) or Engineering Intermediate?

Answer:

Yes. The exception is that you cannot be considered for or awarded the New Frontiers Excellence/Sustained Excellence Scholarship if you were to enrol in HSFY or Engineering Intermediate.

Referees

Question:

Which sections of the application require referees?

Answer:

Referee name, email, phone number and their relationship to you are required for the Māori, Pacific, Financial circumstances, Family circumstances and Disability sections.

For the other sections of the application that do not require a referee, we will contact the relevant schools or sporting/cultural organisations for further information.

Information on what to prepare for your scholarship application.

Question:

Who should I ask to be my referee?

Answer:

It is important to choose referees who know you well and can comment on the qualities and characteristics required for the scholarship in question. The referee for the Financial Circumstances section must be a parent or caregiver due to the sensitive nature of the questions asked about household income and assets.

Question:

Can I use family members as referees for my scholarship application?

Answer:

Whilst using a family member as a referee is strongly discouraged, as it constitutes a conflict of interest, if circumstances dictate that only a family member can provide a reference, then your referee should declare this in the form. This would then be taken under consideration by the selection panels when they come to assess your application. Family members can be used as referees for the Māori and Pacific sections. A parent or caregiver must be used for the Financial Circumstances section.

Question:

Can I use the same referee for each section of my scholarship application?

Answer:

Yes, you can use the same referee for multiple sections of the scholarship application. However, please note that, if you use the same referee for more than one section, they will receive a reference request email for each section. We would therefore recommend that you advise them of this and ask that they complete the reference request for each section.

Question:

I am at school or completed school in the last two years, but I want to choose my own referees for the scholarships where you would usually contact my school directly. Can I do this?

Answer:

No.

Question:

I changed school recently and I am worried that the person providing references at my new school won't know enough about me to be able to comment accurately. What should I do?

Answer:

We recommend making an appointment with your [new] school's Careers Advisor to talk through this issue with them, and let them know about your accomplishments. Note too that your referees get to see the relevant statements you provided in your application, so your achievements will be known to the person making the reference.

Statements provided in the Financial Circumstances section are not displayed to your referee.

Question:

I want to seek references directly myself, or I already have letters of reference – can I upload these as part of my application as well as (or in place of) naming referees to provide references?

Answer:

No. The references we require need to be confidential. We will not use any other written references provided in the decision-making process for scholarships.

Question:

Do I need to ask my referee to send their reference to you?

Answer:

No. Reference requests will be sent by email after scholarship applications close. The University of Otago does not follow up with individual referees for scholarships. We therefore recommend that, as the due date approaches, you check with your nominated referees to ensure that they have provided references. You will be able to see when all reference requests have been submitted via the “Scholarships and awards” tab in eVision. Failure to receive references may disadvantage your application.

You must ensure that you have asked the person you intend to have as a referee for their permission to provide us with their contact details before doing so. If you provide the name of a referee who has not agreed to provide a reference for you, this will likely disqualify your application from further consideration.

Question:

Am I able to change my referee after submitting my application?

Answer:

Yes, you can change your referee yourself via the “Scholarships and awards” tab in eVision. You can only do this until the reference requests are sent out.

Any changes to your referees after the requests have been distributed should be made in writing to the entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz email address. We can then advise on the next steps.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that any requests to change referee details are made as soon as possible, in order to give sufficient time for your new referee to complete the form. We'd therefore recommend contacting your new referee to let them know to expect an email from our team and to check their junk mail folder if they don't receive one.

Transcripts and grades

Question:

Why is Year 12 the significant year for the academic component of Entrance Scholarship awards?

Answer:

This is because it is normally the last complete year for all New Zealand high school students. At the time you apply for entrance scholarships in the middle of Year 13, we are able to compare the full academic year of results from Year 12 with the other applicants, and do not have to be concerned about the variability in how schools upload results and when they are available to the University of Otago.

Question:

I am doing much better academically in Level 3 than I did in Level 2. Will you take my internal assessments at Excellence in Level 3 into account?

Answer:

It is very unlikely that your Level 3 work will be taken into account for the entrance scholarship applications that close on 15 August. However, Level 3 results are very important for the University of Otago New Frontiers Entrance Scholarships. (Please note that the University of Otago New Frontiers Entrance Scholarships cannot be held concurrently with other Entrance Scholarships. The exception to this is the Dux entrance scholarship, which may be held concurrently at the value specified in its regulations.).

All applicants have the opportunity to include information on any issues that may have negatively affected their Year 12 results in the “Education” section of their application.

Question:

I am not studying towards NCEA – how do you compare my grades to those people studying under NCEA?

Answer:

The University has grade conversion tools and guidelines it uses for this.

Students studying under such educational systems such as Cambridge International, or International Baccalaureate will only be compared to other students studying under the same educational system.

Question:

Will I be able to upload my academic transcripts into my application?

Answer:

No. You will not be able to upload documents into your application for entrance scholarships, however students studying under Cambridge International, International Baccalaureate, Australian High School Rankings, or any other overseas or New Zealand qualification will have the ability to upload transcripts into eVision during the admissions and enrolment process. We have access to view documents uploaded.

Any other documents uploaded into eVision to support your application for scholarships may not be used in the decision making process.

Question:

I am studying towards NCEA (or my last completed qualification was NCEA) – do I need to upload my transcript?

Answer:

No. But please ensure your NSN number is entered correctly when applying to the University of Otago. We will have access to view your NZQA record and results.

Question:

I am studying (or last studied) at tertiary level; what transcripts should I upload?

Answer:

Primarily your tertiary-level (i.e. your most recent) transcripts. You will not be able to upload documents into your application for Entrance Scholarships, however you can upload transcripts into eVision when you enrol.

Please note that entrance scholarships are to support students studying at degree level for the first time, therefore if you have already studied more than 0.4 EFTS at any University or tertiary institution at degree level or higher, you will not be eligible for consideration.

Question:

I am on exchange; what transcripts should I upload and which system should I record as my primary educational system?

Answer:

Please record your educational system as 'other' and note both your New Zealand and exchange systems of study. Similarly, you can upload both your New Zealand transcripts and any transcripts from your exchange when you enrol at the University.

Question:

I am studying overseas – how do you compare my grades to those people studying in New Zealand?

Answer:

The University has grade conversion tools and guidelines it uses for this. To assist us in assessing your transcript, please provide any information on the transcript relating to the grading (for example a 'grading key'). Information on your rank or relative position in your class, if available, is strongly recommended.

Question:

I am currently studying towards the International Baccalaureate (IB) and don't have final grades yet; what should I do?

Answer:

You will be asked in your scholarship application to provide the name and contact details of the IB teacher in charge. The University will then seek further information on predicted IB grades from your school.

Question:

I am studying (or have studied) a mix of NCEA and another system (such as IB or CIE); which of these systems should I record as my primary educational system?

Answer:

If you are primarily studying towards IB or CIE, please identify that system and then provide more information on an Individual Education Plan, if you have one, along with your IB/CIE results when you enrol. If you are studying a mixed system, select “Mix of NCEA and other system” or “Other” as your educational system and specify all systems under which you are studying.

Declaration of income (for the Financial circumstances section)

Question:

How do we declare our income and assets?

Answer:

In the application, you will be asked to provide information on any full-time or part-time paid employment you may have had within the last 12 months.

You will then be asked to provide contact details for a parent or caregiver in order for us to collect income and asset information from them directly. Only one parent/caregiver is required to complete this declaration.

Question:

Will having been in paid work affect my chances of being awarded an entrance scholarship?

Answer:

No.

Question:

My parent/caregiver's income has changed significantly since the last financial year. What should they put when declaring their income?

Answer:

If their income has changed dramatically since the last financial year, then they are welcome to use their current income.

Question:

Should my parent/caregiver include any income from benefits when declaring their income?

Answer:

Yes, there are appropriate fields for this, or they can choose to enter these payments in the 'Other sources of income' field.

Question:

My parents/caregivers have accountancy statements detailing our financial position – can I upload these as well as (or instead of) declaring their income?

Answer:

No. Documents are unable to be uploaded into your application or the reference request. If your parent/caregiver does not complete the declaration survey, your scholarship application is unlikely to be considered.

Question:

I don't feel comfortable providing financial information - can I be considered for scholarships for financial hardship without this information?

Answer:

No. We do appreciate the sensitivity of this information and assure you that it will be treated with the utmost care and confidentiality. Only selection panel members and those involved in the administration of these scholarships will have access to this information, and only for the purposes of selecting the scholarships. Collection of such information is necessary in order to ensure that these scholarships are awarded to students with genuine financial need.

Question:

Why can't my referee for the Financial Circumstances section submit their form?

Answer:

Have they added punctuation, such as commas or decimal points in the fields? If so, this is not required. We would always recommend rounding to the nearest whole number. Do not add additional zeroes instead of a decimal point, as this can give a false representation of income.

Have they added dollar ($) symbols in front of the figures? All sources of income in the form are automatically assumed to be in NZD, therefore adding this symbol is not required. If their income or the value of their assets are in a different currency, we'd recommend using currency conversion tools to convert into NZD.

Applying online

Question:

Can I apply for more than one entrance scholarship?

Answer:

When applying for entrance scholarships you will not be required to apply for individual scholarships. Instead, you will be asked to answer a series of questions and this will be used to filter down to the best scholarship fit for you.

Question:

Can I apply for entrance scholarships for study in 2025?

Answer:

No, system limitations mean that this is not possible. However, you can apply for 2024 then, if your application is successful, request a deferral of your scholarship for up to 1 year (see the deferring a scholarship section below).

Question:

What do I need to prepare for my application?

Answer:

Application requirements are different for each scholarship. You should check what is required for each of the scholarships you want to apply for.

Question:

I've completed step 3 on this webpage and I can't see an apply now button. What should I do?

Answer:

Have you applied for a 2024 programme of study? If you have applied for a 2023 programme you will not see the entrance scholarships apply now button. You will need to cancel your 2023 programme application and apply for a 2024 programme.

Have you applied for an Honours programme i.e. Bachelor of Commerce with Honours? If so, this is a one-year postgraduate programme that you can complete after your undergraduate degree. You will need to apply for an undergraduate programme (i.e. Bachelor of Commerce) to be able to apply for entrance scholarships.

Have you applied for the Health Sciences Undergraduate Professional Programme? If so, you will need to do the Health Sciences First Year before you can enter a professional programme. After applying for the Health Sciences First Year you will be able to apply for entrance scholarships.

Have you completed a paper at the University of Otago while at high school? If so, you won't automatically get the apply now button. After you've completed step 3 on this webpage, email us at entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz and include your Otago student ID number in your email.

Are you an international student who has completed, or is in the process of completing, a Pathway │ Te Huarahi or Foundation Year programme? If so, you will not get the apply now button automatically. After you've completed step 3 on this webpage, email us at entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz and include your Otago student ID number in your email.

Are applications open yet? Applications for the University's main undergraduate entrance scholarships open on 1 July 2023 and close at midnight (NZST) on 15 August 2023.

Did you indicate that your occupational status as of 1 October 2023 will be a university student? Students who have studied more than 0.4 EFTS at any University or tertiary institution at degree-level or higher are not normally eligible for entrance scholarships.

If you have indicated your occupational status as of 1 October 2023 will be a university student in error, you will need to go back and correct this information. After this has been corrected, the 'Apply now' button should appear.

If you don't fit into any of the above, contact us by email entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz with your Otago student ID number and we'll do our best to help.

Question:

Can I save my online application halfway through and come back and finish it off later on?

Answer:

Yes, but make sure you submit your application before the scholarship closing date as this may affect which scholarships you will be considered for.

You must ensure that you save your progress when moving to a different section of the application. This can be done by clicking on either 'Save & Exit' or 'Save & Continue'.

You will be able to access your application again by using the "Apply now" button you first used. You will be taken back to the start of the application, but all answers you gave previously will still be there and you will be able to view which sections you have completed via the application dashboard.

Question:

The entrance scholarship application asks for my high performance activity, but I excel in more than one activity. Can I enter more than one?

Answer:

The application will ask you for one area of performance/discipline in which you excel. You can only select one, so we recommend you choose the one you have the greatest achievement in. However, with the 3 statements describing significant performance activities, you can mention all achievements, so you don't have to write about only achievements from the performance area/discipline you have identified.

Question:

Does the character count for the statements include spaces and punctuation?

Answer:

Yes, both spaces and punctuation are included.

Question:

Will I be timed out of my application?

Answer:

There is a time-out function within eVision, therefore we would recommend typing your statements into a separate document and pasting them into your application. An alert will pop up on the screen to advise you if you will be timed-out.

Question:

I've saved each section of my application. Why is the 'Submit' button still greyed out?

Answer:

You may have missed a compulsory field and left a section incomplete. See if any of the tabs (at the top of the page) still have orange circles and check that you have completed all mandatory fields (*) in these sections. A green tick will replace the orange circle once the section is complete and the 'Submit' button should be available.

Have you ticked all of the boxes in the Privacy statement and application submission section?

Question:

Am I able to get back into my application to make changes?

Answer:

If you have already submitted your application and it is before the closing date for applications, you will need to send an email to entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz and we will reopen your application for you. In order for us to find your record much faster, please ensure that you include your 7-digit University of Otago student ID number in your email to us.

Question:

I'm stuck – help!

Answer:

Don't worry – just contact entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz and we will help sort things out if we can within the time available.

Question:

How do I know if I have submitted my application?

Answer:

You will receive an alert in your eVision portal to confirm that you have submitted an application. You will also be able to view the status of your application in the 'Scholarships and awards' section of your eVision portal.

Our system does not automatically generate emails confirming the submission of an application, therefore do not worry if you don't receive one.

Results

Question:

When should I know whether I've received a scholarship or not?

Answer:

For entrance scholarships with a 15 August closing date, we anticipate applicants will receive notification of results by mid-October.

For entrance scholarships with a later closing date, you will receive an alert in your eVision portal to advise you on the outcome of your application. This will only apply to those who have not already been offered an entrance scholarship for study in 2024.

Question:

I haven't received news about my scholarship – what should I do?

Answer:

If you submitted your application before 15 August, and it is now November, and you are sure you haven't received any message from us, first check your eVision portal, then email entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz. If you use your personal email address to contact us, make sure you include your University of Otago student ID number, full name, date of birth, programme of study you've applied for and your home address or telephone number in your communications with our office. If it is before the end of October, just wait – results should be with you by that date.

Question:

I missed out on a scholarship but I'm a top student – can I ask for reconsideration of the decision?

Answer:

No. Scholarship decisions are final and we will not enter into discussion about these. Unfortunately demand for these scholarships is very high, so even some excellent students miss out and we are unable to provide any information as to why an applicant has been unsuccessful.

It is possible that your application may be reconsidered if any other suitable scholarships become available, however, we cannot guarantee that this will result in a late offer being made.

Question:

I received a scholarship but have decided to go to a different university – can I give my scholarship to someone else?

Answer:

No. Scholarships are not transferrable, therefore it is not possible to gift the scholarship to someone else.

Question:

I received a scholarship but have decided to turn it down – do I need to let the University of Otago know this?

Answer:

Yes, please do. Your scholarship offer notification in eVision contains accept and decline buttons for you to communicate your decision with us.

If you have decided to turn down your scholarship offer after accepting it in your eVision portal, please email us at entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz and include your University of Otago student ID number in your email, as well as a brief reason for declining the scholarship.

Please note that if you have committed to a Residential College, you may still have financial liabilities with the College if you accept then subsequently decline your entrance scholarship.

Question:

I have received a scholarship but I'm not sure whether to accept it or not, because I am waiting on other scholarship results, and I won't know about these until after my acceptance decision is due with the University of Otago; what should I do?

Answer:

We are aware that there are some recipients still awaiting offers from other universities. Our usual advice to those who are unsure as to which university they will be going to is to accept the Otago scholarship offer, unless you are absolutely sure that you do not wish to come to Otago.

If you then decide to study elsewhere, please email us at entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz and include your University of Otago student ID number in your email.

Question:

I received a scholarship – do I have to take it up in 2024, or can I wait?

Answer:

See the deferring a scholarship section below.

Question:

I received a scholarship and then was awarded Dux of my school and so became eligible for the University of Otago Dux Scholarship – can I have both awards?

Answer:

Yes, however the value of the Dux Scholarship will be determined by the value of your main entrance scholarship.

See the Dux Scholarship webpage for more information.

Question:

I received a University of Otago Entrance Scholarship and have also been awarded another scholarship from an external provider. Can I hold both?

Answer:

University of Otago Entrance Scholarships are usually able to be held concurrently with other undergraduate scholarships, see the Entrance Scholarships terms and conditions, however we advise checking the regulations for the other scholarship(s) you have been awarded to ensure they also allow concurrent tenure.

Payment of scholarship

Question:

How does payment of my scholarship work?

Answer:

Please see your scholarship offer letter to confirm how your scholarship funds will be released. Following is some information on how entrance scholarships are normally paid.

First year scholarship recipients.

As per point 4 of the Entrance Scholarships Terms and Conditions, the monetary award of the scholarship is normally received in semester 1 as a contribution to or payment of (in order of priority): a) Residential College fees; b) tuition fees at the University of Otago and c) payment to your bank account made after April in the year of tenure.

If you are eligible forfees-free:

Residential College payment: If you are planning on staying in a University of Otago owned or affiliated Residential College or University Flat, the Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships team will work directly with the Residential College/University Flats and the Accommodation Office to transfer the scholarship contribution towards your accommodation fees.

Tuition fees payment/Payment to bank account: If you are not staying in a Residential College/University Flat, and are eligible for fees-free, we will be offering two options with regard to your 2024 entrance scholarship, as follows. We will contact you in February 2024 for your decision on which option you choose to take.

Option 1: Receive your scholarship as a contribution to general living costs, paid in monthly instalments from March 2024 (after course confirmation).

Option 2: Have the value of your scholarship credited against your fees for your second year of study, 2025.

If you are not eligible forfees-free:

Residential College payment: If you are planning on staying in a Residential College/University Flat, the Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships team will work directly with the Residential College and the Accommodation Office to transfer the scholarship contribution towards your accommodation fees.

Tuition fees payment: If you are not staying in a Residential College/University Flat, and are not eligible for fees-free, then the Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships team will work with the Student Finance Office to ensure your scholarship contribution towards tuition fees is made. The fee rebates for scholarship recipients will be processed by the due date for fees. Once the fee rebate has been processed, the payment will be visible in the Finance section of your eVision portal.

Payment to bank account: If you are eligible for a payment of your scholarship, the Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships team will provide you with more information on how the payment will be applied. Payment will not be made until after April, once the deadlines for changing programme/s and first semester papers has passed.

Second and third year scholarship recipients

If you have met the grade requirements for continuation of your scholarship, as outlined in your scholarship offer letter, your scholarship will be processed as a tuition fee rebate. This will be processed by the due date for fees.

If there is a credit after the deadlines for changing programme/s and first semester papers has passed, we will arrange for the balance to be paid to you. Any payments will not be made until after April, and we will contact you closer to this time with further details. Please note that you will still need to remain enrolled in full-time, full-year study in order to be eligible for any payments to be made.

Question:

When will my Residential College receive the scholarship payment?

Answer:

The Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships team will arrange directly with your College early in the year to apply your scholarship to your accommodation fee account. We suggest talking to your College to discuss payment options, but generally the scholarship will be applied as a lump sum at the start of the year, so usually it can go towards an initial lump sum payment amount.

Question:

Will my scholarship pay for the Residential College deposit?

Answer:

No. Your offer letter will state that the scholarship is not able to be used for payment or part-payment of Residential College placement, entry, deposit, activity or equivalent fees.

Deferring a scholarship

Question:

I'm planning on taking a gap year, can I defer my scholarship?

Answer:

It may be possible to defer taking up a scholarship for a year. To do so, please apply in writing to the Manager, Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships at the email address entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz with your reasons for requesting a deferral. Please include your full name and University of Otago student ID number in your email. We recommend you check the regulations for the scholarship you have been offered before requesting a deferral.

Please note: as per the Entrance Scholarships Terms and Conditions, deferrals will not be granted where a recipient is studying at another tertiary institution at degree level prior to or during the scholarship tenure.

Other queries

If you have a question that isn't answered above, please contact the Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships team by email:
entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz
If you have a University of Otago student identification number, please include this in your email.

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