Applying for a Scholarship

If you are intending to enrol on an approved Initial Teacher Education programme or already have, you can apply for a TeachNZ scholarship. If would like to apply for a TeachNZ scholarship, we suggest taking the following steps:

Find the scholarship for you

There are options for graduates, undergraduates all sectors and all subjects. If you are studying or intend to study an approved Initial Teacher Education programme we can support you.

Complete the online application form

Carefully complete your application form, ensure that you show off your passion, cultural competencies and personality.

Take pride in your personal statement and complete it in te reo Māori if it is a requirement.

Collect your supporting documents

Follow the application checklist to ensure you support your application with the required documents.

Certify your documents

Use the checklist to ensure you have attached certified copies of all the relevant documents to your application.

Submit your form

Submit your application form.

We recommend you ask someone else to check your completed application before you submit it.

Please contact TeachNZ if you are unsure about the documents required with your application. If your application is incomplete, it will not be assessed.

General feedback for applicants 

• Please provide an up-to-date CV with your application. Ensure your CV contains your full work history, voluntary work, community involvement and life experiences to really show the full extent of your achievements.

•  Criteria Assessment questions - ensure all your answers for these questions provide plenty of detail. Your answers should demonstrate how you plan to teach in the classroom; how your skills will help you on your teaching journey and what being a teacher means to you.

The panel will want to see answers that reflect how you will engage in the classroom and what your teaching style will be.

Ensure you are conveying experiences and demonstrate your motivations. The panel will want you to describe situations in which you exhibited the qualities outlined in the criteria assessment questions, rather than just your definition of those qualities.

Convey your motivations for applying for the Scholarship.

The scholarship panel will notice answers that appear scripted or have information copied from other sources so please avoid this.

• Referees – ensure you provide appropriate referees who are not whanau or personal friends.

• Kupe Scholarship: when answering the criteria assessment questions, outline and describe your experiences and achievements that demonstrate how you are a high achiever. This should be from a lived experience perspective, not just academic. It is valuable for the panel to know about your involvement in your Māori and/or Pacific community.