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Whakaeke Pōneke - MinterEllisonRuddWatts First in Whānau Award
Scholarship details
| Study levels | Degree |
|---|---|
| Value | $5,000 |
| Close date | Monday, 1 September 2025 |
| Ethnicities | Maori |
| Domestic/international | Domestic Only |
About the scholarship
Established in 2023, the Whakaeke Pōneke First in Whānau Award is funded by MinterEllisonRuddWatts, a leading New Zealand law firm. The Award aims to encourage greater diversity within the legal profession by providing financial assistance and pastoral support to Māori law students who are the first member of their whānau tonu (immediate family) to attend university and/or the first in their family to graduate with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB). It is intended to help recipients meet study and living costs while pursuing their legal education. The Award forms part of the MinterEllisonRuddWatts Scholarship Programme, Ngā Karahipi Whakaeke. Ngā Karahipi means scholarships or awards, and Whakaeke means to enable arrival, reflecting the programme's commitment to supporting more Māori students through their law studies and helping them achieve their aspirations.
Entry requirements
To be eligible to apply for the award, an applicant must:
- be of Māori descent,
- be a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand,
- be the first member of their whānau tonu (immediate family) to attend a university and/or will be the first in their whānau to graduate with a Bachelor of Laws,
- have completed at least three compulsory second year law courses and be intending to continue their undergraduate law degree at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington in the following year.