Wellington International Excellence Scholarship

The purpose of the Wellington International Excellence Scholarship is to recruit high-achieving undergraduate international students currently studying in New Zealand to Victoria University of Wellington and to support them in their studies. The majority of these scholarships will be awarded at $20,000 over three years of study.

Who is eligible?

  • Applicants must be international full-fee paying students.
  • Applicants must have completed at least one full year (ie. their Year 12 year) at a New Zealand secondary school.
  • Applicants must be enrolling in their first year of their first undergraduate degree.
  • Applicants must have NCEA Level 2 (or 3 if taken in Year 12) endorsed with Excellence or equivalent in another qualification.

Selection criteria

These scholarships are for international school leaver students who have completed at least one full year (ie. their Year 12 year) at a New Zealand secondary school and who are enrolling at Victoria University of Wellington in Trimester 1 of the year following application. Scholarships will be competitive on the basis of academic merit.

Scholarship specific documentation

  • A personal statement.
  • A reference from your School principal or nominee (requested through the online application).

Selection process

Selection will be made by a panel of Wellington University International staff.

Additional information

All recipients of the Wellington International Excellence Scholarships are guaranteed an offer of a place in one of our Halls of Residence, provided an accommodation application is received by University Accommodation Wellington by 1 October.

Scholarships will be comprised of $10,000 for the first year of study, and a further $5,000 for the second and third years of study, provided a Grade Point Average of 7 (A- average) is maintained. Students must also study full-time (at least 120 points a year) in order to continue to hold the Wellington International Excellence Scholarship. These scholarships will be credited to tuition fees after the final withdrawal date for Trimester 1 (roughly two weeks after the first day of the trimester).

Regulations and conditions

  1. A completed online application must be submitted by 4:30 pm on the closing date. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Any required supporting documentation (including references) must also be received by 4:30 pm on the closing date in order for the application to be considered.
  2. All offers of the Scholarship will be conditional upon the recipient being fully enrolled in a full-year programme (full-time will be at the level of points considered by Immigration New Zealand as full-time) within the stipulated criteria and tenure of the scholarship. No payment of the Scholarship will be made until this condition is met.
  3. The Scholarship cannot be deferred to a later year.
  4. The Scholarship cannot be held in conjunction with other awards.
  5. Applicants with an NCEA Level 2 (or 3) Certificate endorsed with Excellence are encouraged to apply. Excellence credits must be obtained in Year 11 or 12; credits gained in Year 13 cannot be included.
  6. Applicants with an equivalent level of achievement in an alternative qualification are also encouraged to apply. Examples of alternative qualifications considered are: International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), or Rudolph Steiner qualifications.
  7. CIE candidates with at least 230 points on the UCAS tariff across no more than four subjects from Years 11 or 12 are encouraged to apply.
  8. Offers of the Scholarship to NCEA candidates will be conditional upon the recipient gaining a Merit or Excellence endorsement on their NCEA Level 3 Certificate. CIE candidates will need to gain at least 300 points on the UCAS tariff in their Year 13 subjects. Recipients must also gain University Entrance and admission to their programme of study.
  9. IB candidates who expect to achieve a score of 37 or greater for the IB diploma are encouraged to apply and will be notified of the outcome of their application once their results are released to us. All successful applicants must also gain University Entrance and admission to their programme of study.
  10. Applicants who wish to enrol at Victoria University of Wellington directly from Year 12 may not apply for the Scholarship unless they will meet all the normal conditions of the scholarship by the end of their Year 12 year (see regulation 8 in particular).
  11. Applicants who go on an official student school exchange for a minimum of six months instead of completing Year 13 may apply for the Scholarship. These applicants will also need to gain admission through Discretionary Entrance.
  12. Should the recipient withdraw from Victoria University of Wellington during the tenure of this scholarship or fail to achieve a satisfactory progress, partial repayment of the Scholarship will normally be expected. Recipients must advise the Scholarships Office if they intend to withdraw.
  13. This Scholarship is meant to support international fee-paying students in their studies at Victoria University of Wellington. Should the recipient become a domestic student during the tenure of this scholarship, the recipient must advise the Scholarships Office as soon as possible. Continuation of the scholarship payment after gaining domestic student status is at the discretion of the University.
  14. Recipients are expected to act as Ambassadors for Victoria University of Wellington and participate in appropriate events or marketing if requested.
  15. At the discretion of the Deciding Authority, the application of the terms and conditions of the Scholarship may be modified in special circumstances or to avoid hardship to any candidate for the Scholarship.

Contact

Scholarships and PhD Admissions Office
scholarships-office@vuw.ac.nz
pg-research@vuw.ac.nz
summer-research@vuw.ac.nz
Phone 0800 04 04 04

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