Pacific Health Scholarships guidelines

To be eligible to apply for the Pacific Health Scholarships 2023, you must:

• be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident at the time of the application
• be enrolled in a health or disability-related course/qualification
• be enrolled at an approved NZQA accredited tertiary provider in New Zealand
• provide evidence (passport, birth certificate, reference letter) of indigenous Pacific descent from any of the following islands: Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, Fiji, Rotuma, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Palau, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Wallis and Futuna, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Rapanui (Easter Island).

The following applicants are deemed ineligible:

• students who qualify for the fees free scheme for the current academic year
• students who have been or will be awarded any other scholarship of more than $1,000 from another source for the current academic year
• sixth year medical students because they receive a stipend
• PhD students because the frontline workforce takes priority
• first year health science students and bio-medical students (competitive courses)

Applications from both full-time and part time workers will be considered (including Te Whatu Ora employees).

The Scholarships will consist of:

• up to $10,000 for Medical and Dentistry students
• up to $5,000 for nursing, midwifery, allied health and all remaining eligible qualifications (refer to list of eligible qualifications below).

Important:

• Tuition fees will be paid directly to your tertiary provider, once you have been approved in a health or disability-related course and Te Whatu Ora receives confirmation of tuition fees from the tertiary provider.
• The Scholarships are a contribution toward tuition fees only. Accommodation costs, course related costs and study leave are not covered by the Scholarships.
• To ensure timely payment of tuition fees, please provide current contact information for your tertiary provider scholarship liaison and Finance department.

• All applications must be submitted using the online application form.
• After an application has been submitted, applications will receive an acknowledgment email.
• Once applications close, an Assessment Panel will review all submitted applications (both new applicants and fast track students).
• Please allow 3-4 weeks for the applications to be processed and reviewed after the close dates.
• All applicants will be notified by email correspondence, the outcome of their application once the Assessment Panel have finalised their decisions.
• Tertiary providers will be notified of successful recipients and coordination of scholarship payments will be done between Te Whatu Ora and the tertiary provider (with assistance by the recipient if necessary).
• Please ensure you provide a current email address when applying. If your email address changes, please inform Te Whatu Ora by emailing pacificscholarships@health.govt.nz.

How to apply online

• Use the online form.
• Make sure you save your application if you are going away from your computer, otherwise you may have to start the application again. We also advise that you make a copy of your answers and save them in a Microsoft document.
• Attach an official transcript for tertiary study. If this is not available, then attach a screenshot of your results.
• If your statement of fees is not available, upload a screen shot of your fees.
• Ensure your application is complete with all necessary attachments included.
• Late applications will be considered at the discretion of the Assessment Panel.

Successful applicant’s obligations

Successful applicants will be expected to:

• advise Te Whatu Ora if they become unable or unwilling to complete the Approved Course for 2023
• notify Te Whatu Ora prior to making any changes to the Approved Course for 2023, including undertaking any papers that do not contribute towards the approved qualification, or substituting alternative papers for papers included in the Approved Course
• advise Te Whatu Ora of all other sources of funding received (with the exception of Studylink assistance)
• maintain or achieve a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5 or higher (equivalent to an average B grade or higher) across papers completed in 2023 (or maintain a ‘pass’ mark if completing medical studies)
• provide Te Whatu Ora with a report on grades for semester 1 and 2.

Fast track applications will be assessed by the Assessment Panel. Successful recipients will qualify for a scholarship the following year, provided that:

• the recipient maintains a GPA of five (B average) and provides Te Whatu Ora with their results
• they reapply online before the closing date.

If you are having trouble with your application or have any other queries, please contact the Pacific team by email to: pacificscholarships@health.govt.nz.