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
Ensure you 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. There is a 500 word count limit for each question and all answers should link back to your disposition to teach.
The panel will want to see answers that reflect how you will engage in the classroom and what your teaching style will be.
The panel want to see how you are furthering your cultural capability inside and outside of the classroom. Make sure to share any information as to how you are contributing to the increase of Te Reo Māori.
The video is a great opportunity to show who you are as a person, panellists' like it when you show off your language capability, and give an insight as to what it would be like in your classroom and your passion for teaching. Avoid reading off a script.
Ensure you are conveying real life experiences and demonstrate your motivations to teach. 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.
The panel like to hear how any past qualifications and/or experiences may help to support you in the classroom.
Convey what your motivations are for applying for the scholarship. The panel want to hear about how your passion for teaching and the subject/sector you have chosen to teach in will shape the future generation and why you want to become a teacher and what makes a good teacher.
The scholarship panel will notice answers that appear scripted or have information copied from other sources so please avoid this.
Ensure you provide appropriate referees who are not whanau or personal friends and who understand your passion to teach and will support your application should they be contacted.
The TeachNZ scholarships are extremely competitive with over 1000 applications received every year for the 465 scholarships available. It is always good to share your application with a pair and get any feedback/insights in to how you can improve your application before submission.
If you have any questions about our scholarships, please contact us on 0800 165 225 or email us at TeachNZ.Admin@education.govt.nz