Kā Pūtea Scholarships

Competitive scholarships judged on academic achievement and on connectedness to whānau, hapū and iwi.

Closes

Opens annually 1 February, closes 1 April. Outcomes advised in May

Who can apply

Registered Ngāi Tahu in the second or subsequent year of an NZQA-recognised tertiary qualification or international equivalent. Every application has to evidence engagement and connectedness or reciprocity to whānau, hapū and iwi.

Whakapapa

Registered Ngāi Tahu tribal member. You need a six-digit whakapapa registration number to log in to Te Kopa Ora, the grants portal.

Study level

Undergraduate, Postgraduate

Amount

58 undergraduate targeted scholarships worth up to $1,500 each; 24 postgraduate scholarships (12 Honours up to $3,000, 8 Masters up to $5,000, 4 Doctorate up to $10,000); plus discretionary Exceptional Scholarships for study at a prestigious overseas institution

Funding route

Scholarship

Applicants

Individuals & whānau, Tauira & researchers

Before you apply

Two exclusions that end an application. First years cannot apply — you must be in your second year or beyond. And recipients of the Matakahi Cadetship are ineligible entirely. Postgraduate applications are judged on academic excellence and on what the research contributes to Ngāi Tahu, so the research angle matters as much as the marks. Exceptional Scholarships are discretionary and case by case, aimed at study at a prestigious overseas institution. Separate from the Kā Pūtea Grant, which is not competitive — apply for both. Everything goes through Te Kopa Ora, the Ngāi Tahu grants portal, using your six-digit whakapapa registration number and password. No number means no application, so start the registration process first if you are not on the register. Contact centre 0800 524 8248.

Official source →

Checked 16 September 2026

Applied for this one? Tell us how it went. Reported outcomes are the only way to know whether this directory actually helps whānau get funded.

Something wrong here? Tell us and we will check it

Details change without notice. Check the funder's own page before you apply. Tōku Waka does not administer, assess or award this funding.