Scholarship FAQs

Current scholarship recipients (including current doctoral scholars) can use the Scholarship Variation Request Form to request a variation to their scholarship which is outside of the approved regulations. To learn more and/or submit a variation request visit the scholarships variation request page.

If you were offered a scholarship and forgot to accept by the deadline, there may still be funding available to support you. Please contact us here with the details.

The University of Waikato Doctoral Scholarship application process is now included in the higher degree application process and you will have the opportunity to indicate if you would like to be considered for a doctoral scholarship when you apply for study.

Applications for Higher Research Degree study, which includes the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Education (EdD),  Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD), Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) and Masters of Philosophy (MPhil), can be received at any time, but applications will only be considered three times each year, 31 January, 31 May and 30 September.

To apply for higher degree study you must submit an online application to enrol.

Please ensure that you read all of the details in regards to the application requirements before you apply.

If you are interested in studying at the University of Waikato you will need to have submitted an Application to Enrol in order to have access to apply for scholarships.  For further details on how to do this please visit the International Students Website.

Before you start applying for scholarships read the School Leaver Scholarship Scholarships page on the Scholarships website.  When you are ready to apply you can find all of the school leaver scholarships using our scholarship finder. Please note that in order to apply for scholarship you must have submitted an Application to Enrol though MyWaikato.

How do my referees submit a reference to support my scholarship application?

• If you have applied for any scholarship through your MyWaikato portal then an email requesting a reference or an academic assessment will be automatically be sent to the referee whose email you list.  The email they receive will have instructions on how they can submit their reference/assessment once completed.  The email request for references will not be sent until you fully submit your application.

How do I know if my references have been received by the Scholarships Team?

• You can check if your references have been received by the Scholarships team by clicking on the hyperlink under 'Referee Responses' in your Scholarships tab to see the names of those that have not yet been submitted.

I chose to 'Defer' my scholarship towards my next year's Tuition Fees.  How does this get added to my account?

• If you chose to 'Defer' your school leaver scholarship to your tuition fees to next year as you were 'Fees-Free' this year, the Scholarships team are currently working on having your scholarship added to your enrolment. Whilst they are undertaking this process we encourage you to commence your Application to Enrol and over the coming weeks your scholarship will be added.

I have been awarded a scholarship to pay for my tuition fees but the online enrolment form does not show this option. What do I need to select?

• If you have an internal scholarship, please contact us to deduct the amount to pay before accepting your enrolment agreement. If it is an external scholarship, you will need to print and sign a copy of your enrolment agreement (which was sent to your MyWaikato Portal) and indicate the name of the Scholarship that will be paying all or part of your tuition fees.  This can be emailed to [email protected] or brought in to the Student Centre in person. If your scholarship doesn’t cover all of your tuition fees, you will need to use another payment method to pay for the remaining fees after you have submitted your enrolment agreement.

I have been awarded a tuition fees scholarship but have already paid my fees in full. How do I get reimbursed?

• To apply for a refund log in to your MyWaikato Portal and click on the Finance tab.  If you are due a personal refund click on the 'Apply for a refund' button and follow the instructions.  StudyLink refunds are processed automatically over time, however, if you would like to fast-track your StudyLink refund, please apply for a refund from your MyWaikato Portal.
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The personal statements for all school leaver scholarships can be found on the first page of the scholarship application.  If you forgot to download it when you commenced your application, you can also find the School Leavers Templates on the scholarships website.

The outcome of your scholarship application may take up to 8 weeks from the closing date.  You will receive a MyWaikato portal in-tray message when your application has been processed and when a decision has been reached by the Selection Panel.

1. Log into your MyWaikato portal
2. Select Edit Details from the drop-down list next to your name in the yellow bar
3. Click on Bank Details
4. Enter in your bank account number and name and confirm that the bank account listed is your own
5. Click Submit

To view the status of your scholarship applications, log in to your MyWaikato portal and click on the 'Scholarships' tab at the top of the page.  Here you will be able to view a list of every scholarship you have applied for and its current status e.g. Application Received, Incomplete, Offer Made.  Remember, it can take up to 8 weeks from the closing date to have a outcome of your application.  Please be patient.

The Scholarships Office will correspond with you about the status of your application through your MyWaikato portal in-tray message service.  Ensure you check this weekly if not daily.

If you are lucky enough to receive more than one scholarship offer, and the regulations of those scholarships preclude this, please make contact with the Scholarships team.  They will be able to advise you on which scholarship will be of the most benefit to you.

If your scholarship has a cash component then you will be asked to enter in your bank details when you accept your offer.  The regulations will outline when your cash instalment(s) are due to be paid and it will also be outlined in your MyWaikato portal under your Scholarships tab.  Depending on your bank, payments will be made overnight on the first Wednesday after the date listed.  If you do not receive payment by the Friday of that week please contact Scholarships.

If you have a query regarding tax you should seek independent financial advice about any tax implication on your scholarship.
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