University of Otago Law Alumni Scholarship

Information

Alumni and friends of the University of Otago have gifted funds to provide scholarships for Law students who have demonstrated academic ability and who can show significant financial need.

General eligibility criteria

Application for all Entrance Scholarships are normally open to students who meet the requirements of 1.1 OR 1.2, AND 2. Those who fit within 3 are ineligible.

1.1 Are New Zealand citizens, New Zealand Residence Class Visa Holders, Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents with domestic fee status;

Or

1.2 International students who have completed Year 12 and/or have completed or are in the process of completing Year 13 at a New Zealand school (or an equivalent foundation level course at a New Zealand tertiary institution).

And

2 Are intending to enrol or have enrolled for the first time for first-year (100-level papers) full-time degree-level, undergraduate study in Law at the University of Otago.

But

3 Applications are not normally open to those who have studied more than 0.4 EFTs at any University or tertiary institution at degree-level or higher.

Exceptions to 0.4 EFTS or less are considered when all previous University or tertiary level study has been undertaken whilst concurrently enrolled at secondary school.

Specific eligibility criteria for this Scholarship

In addition to the above eligibility criteria, applicants must have:

• Significant financial need or life circumstances which present barriers to studying at university.
• Achieved NCEA Level 2 endorsed with merit, or equivalent.

Note: You will not be eligible to apply for this scholarship if you have already been offered and accepted an Entrance Scholarship for 2024.

Application process

All applications for Entrance Scholarships are done through eVision, the University's student management system. In order to apply for a scholarship, you will be required to go through the first stages of enrolment at the University of Otago to access the Entrance Scholarship online application.

For more information on the application process, as well as step-by-step instructions, please visit the 'Apply for a scholarship' webpage:

Apply for a scholarship

Before going through the application process, it is important to ensure that you are adequately prepared to begin the application. The things you will need to prepare for your application are listed on the scholarship application preparation webpage:

Scholarship application preparation

Selection of recipients

The Selection Panel consisting of the Director of Development and Alumni Relations, in the chair, the Dean of the Law Faculty, the Alumni Relations Campaign Officer, and the Manager, Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships, or their nominees, shall consider the following factors in awarding the scholarships:

• Academic ability; disciplines or subjects relevant to their proposed programme of study at University may be assessed (a minimum of NCEA Level 2 awarded with merit, or equivalent, is normally required for consideration).
• Financial need.
• The life circumstances which present significant barriers to studying at university.
• Potential and motivation to succeed at University

Scholarship detail

The Scholarship terms and conditions can be found here:

Scholarship terms and conditions

In addition, the following information applies to this Scholarship, subject to the specific provisions of the offer letter for the recipient:

• Standard value of $6,000.
• Standard tenure is one year.
• At the discretion of the panel this award may be offered at a higher value.
• For those accepting a place in a Residential College as listed at the link below, it will be paid as an accommodation fee waiver for the amount specified in your scholarship offer letter, paid directly to your Residential College (the scholarship is not able to be used for payment or part-payment of Residential College placement, deposit, activity or equivalent fees due prior to studying).
  University of Otago Residential Colleges
• For those living in the local community (boarding, flatting or living at home), it will normally comprise of a payment, firstly towards tuition and student services fees, if applicable, then as a monthly stipend or lump sum, or you may be able to have the value of your scholarship credited against your tuition fees for your second year of study.
• Payment of this scholarship will only be made once a copy of a message of appreciation from the scholarship recipient to the donor has been received by the Development and Alumni Relations Office.
• Please note that, unless an exception is specified, other University of Otago Entrance Scholarships cannot normally be held concurrently with other Entrance Scholarships. The exception to this is the Dux entrance scholarship, which may be held concurrently at the value specified in its regulations.    
  • University of Otago Dux Scholarship

Further information

You are likely to find the Frequently Asked Questions helpful and we recommend that you read them.

To find out more about Entrance Scholarships, please contact us:

Email entrance.scholarships@otago.ac.nz
Tel 0800 80 80 98 (callers within New Zealand only); or
+64 3 479 7000 (callers outside New Zealand)
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If you have a University of Otago student identification number, please include this in your email.