Scholarships

Acorn Foundation Beverly Perszyk Scholarship

The Acorn Foundation Beverly Perszyk Scholarship aims to financially assist students who are the first in their family/whānau to undertake full-time undergraduate study, and who are studying at the University of Waikato in Tauranga. Priority will be given to those who are achieving academic success, while personal challenges/hardship may also be taken into consideration.

To be eligible, applicants must also:

• have completed and successfully passed all papers in their first year of study; and
• have completed and successfully passed all papers in the following year(s) of study (if any); and
• be intending to re-enrol full-time (a full-time academic year comprises 120-points) in the following year of an undergraduate degree at the University of Waikato in Tauranga; and
• be accepted into their programme of study; and
• be a New Zealand citizen of permanent resident.

The scholarship has a value of $4,000 and will have a maximum tenure of one year.

In selecting the successful applicant for the scholarship, the Selection Panel will take into particular consideration the applicant’s commitment to succeed at university and to study at the Tauranga Campus.

Applications for the scholarship must be received by the University of Waikato Scholarships Office on the prescribed form by 15 October for study in the same year.

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Acorn Foundation Kenneth Perszyk Snr. Adult Learner Scholarship

The Acorn Foundation Kenneth Perszyk Snr. Adult Learner Scholarship was established in 2021 by his son Kenneth to financially assist adult students (40 years and over) during any stage of their study at undergraduate (or postgraduate) level at the University of Waikato Tauranga campus. One scholarship is awarded each year and has a value of $4,000. Awards will be based on motive and may also factor in personal circumstances and hardship. Applicants must be currently living in the Bay of Plenty area. Applications should be made directly through the University of Waikato's Scholarships Office. 

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Alwyn Robert Thompson Scholarship

Ena and Alwyn Thompson were brother and sister. They farmed in the Hinewa/Otumoetai Road area and grew Chinese gooseberries. Ena was one of the first people to try refrigerating them for transportation and sent some to the South Island. Neither married or had any children and, accordingly, Alwyn left his estate to Ena when he died.

Ena wanted to honour her brother’s life with by setting up two scholarships:

The Alwyn Robert Thompson Veterinary Science Scholarship due to Alwyn’s love of animals; and The Alwyn Robert Thompson Law Scholarship as Ena was close friends with Joy Drayton, former principal at Tauranga Girl’s College and Chancellor at the University of Waikato. Together they wanted to grow the law programme at the University of Waikato and ensure its continuation, so they chose a preference for the scholarship to be for a student attending Waikato University.  

Each scholarship is worth $2,500 and is available to applicants from Tauranga Boy’s College, Tauranga Girl’s College and Otumoetai College.

Applications are made directly via the schools.

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Bay of Plenty Medical Students Scholarship

For a medical student who attended college in the WBOP.

This scholarship is intended to support capable medical students who attended college in the Western Bay of Plenty, and whose families are not able to support them financially through their studies.

The scholarship is awarded annually through the Bay of Plenty Clinical School and has a value of approximately $4,500.

Enquiries should be made to the BOP Clinical School at www.bopdhb.govt.nz.

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Bethlehem College International Travel Award

The Bethlehem College International Travel Award was established in 2023 on behalf of a very generous anonymous donor. A former student of Bethlehem College, their passion in international travel was ignited by a school trip to Tahiti.

Since that trip, they’ve managed to set foot on every continent of the world, visited 35 countries, and have lived in many different places. Now they’re looking to give back to the school community where their passion was ignited and are giving a lucky student each year the chance to have their horizons opened.

The Acorn Foundation is administering this scholarship in the form of a grant of $3,000 targeted at a student who needs financial assistance to go on an international journey that will help them grow as people or give them critical life experiences. This scholarship will be awarded by a panel including the donor, Bethlehem College representatives, and Acorn Foundation representatives.

To apply, students between Year 11 and Year 13 should apply via a form hosted on the Bethlehem College website from the 1^st of May. Travel must occur between November of the year of grant and December 31^st of the following year.

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Bill & Doris Eaddy Memorial Trust - BOP

The Eaddy Junior Rowing Trust is named in remembrance of the late William Harold (Bill) and Doris Eaddy. When Bill passed away he set aside part of his residuary estate for purposes which supported junior rowers and their coaches. The Bill and Doris Eaddy Memorial Trust was established by Deed of Trust in July 2002 and registered as a charity. In 2023 the trust was resettled and transferred to the Acorn Foundation to administer. It is our honour to continue the legacy of Bill and Doris.

Acorn Foundation has partnered with The Adastra Foundation to administer this scholarship. Through funding and a strong focus on personal development and education, The Adastra Foundation Scholarship programme supports individuals to help them pursue their dreams and develop as leaders in their communities.

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Bob & Joy Owens Scholarship

Joy and Bob Owens founded the Owens Charitable Trust in 1990 and, in 1993, the Trustees established scholarships at Tauranga Girls' and Tauranga Boys' Colleges. At the time, the scholarship was valued at $2,000 per year for three years for a student who was going on to university or other tertiary education. By 2007, scholarships were in place at five other schools, with the value per student increased.

At the beginning of 2020, the scholarships were renamed The Bob & Joy Owens Scholarships, and administration for the scholarships was taken over by the Acorn Foundation.

The scholarships are awarded annually to students from seven secondary schools in Tauranga who have excelled and shown great work ethic. However, whilst academic ability is important, Bob and Joy Owens were particularly interested in applicants who have a desire to contribute to society and make the world a better place. 

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Bruce Longmore Scholarship

The Bruce Longmore Scholarship is for students who are completing undergraduate or postgraduate studies at the University of Waikato (Tauranga or Hamiton Campus) in the fields of Marine Science, Environmental Science or Ecology and Biodiversity. Students must have completed at least two years of undergraduate study and have proven academic ability and show a clear passion and future commitment to their chosen field. Applicants will be passionate about their community and able to provide examples of support and involvement in their local community or field of interest.

The Scholarship has a total value of $5,000 and will be tenable for a maximum of one year.

Apply via the University of Waikato Scholarship’s office by 15 October for study in the year following.

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Cashmore Family Scholarship

For a Tauranga Boys' College student who is seeking to excel in his chosen field.

The Acorn Foundation Cashmore Family Scholarship is an award of $10,000 annually, available to a senior student at Tauranga Boys' College to allow that student to excel in his chosen field. That field might be academic, vocational, sporting or culture, but the student must have proven ability to achieve at the highest national or international level.

The successful applicant will lack the financial resources through his family or the lead organisation in his field to be able to support him to achieve his potential.

Enquiries should be made to Tauranga Boys College at 07 578 4029.

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Christine Tustain Classical Music Award

An annual prize of $2,000 to assist a student to further their studies in classical music (singing or instrumental).

Applicants must provide evidence that they are engaged in, or have been accepted for, an advanced study programme or specialised course in classical music.

Applicants must:     

• Have received at least part of their secondary education in Tauranga or Western Bay of Plenty; and/or
• Currently reside in Tauranga or Western Bay of Plenty.

The Selection Panel will consist of a representative of Creative Bay of Plenty, the Acorn Foundation and of the classical music community, to determine the most suitable candidate.

Applications are via Creative BOP.

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Christine Tustain Sports Award

An annual award of over $1,800, provided for an athlete in the Western Bay of Plenty who is excelling in their chosen sport, to assist with preparation for international competition.

This award is handed out by Sport Bay of Plenty in November of each year. 

For more information, contact Sport BOP on 07 578 0016 or at www.sportbop.co.nz.

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Dale Carnegie Youth Programme Scholarships

Scholarships are provided to Tauranga secondary schools each year to help cover the costs for Year 13 students to attend a Dale Carnegie Youth Programme three-day course to learn valuable new skills around public speaking and improve their self-confidence.

The students are selected for their leadership potential, strong work ethic and open-minded attitude to try new things by their school deans in conjunction with the staff of Dale Carnegie Bay of Plenty Waikato. Students will need to contribute towards their course costs.

The estate of the late Mary and Roy McGowan funded these scholarships that have been offered since 2010.

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Dr. Leonard Randell Memorial Scholarship

Leonard Randell moved to Te Puke in 1930, and spent the next 30 years serving tirelessly as the town’s doctor. Well-loved in the community for his principle of never charging a client more than they had the ability to pay, Dr. Randell was available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Despite being a country doctor, he was well known for his mastery of the field of obstetrics and was respected throughout the medical community.

Dr. Randell passed away in 1960, and in the honour of the much-loved GP, the community came together to create the Dr. Leonard Randell Memorial Scholarship. This grant has been issued to a departing Te Puke High School student every year since 1960 to allow them more freedom as they pursue higher education.

The Acorn Foundation took over the administration of this scholarship in 2023, though the granting process remains in the hands of the Te Puke community where it belongs.

This scholarship is awarded every year to a deserving candidate from Te Puke High School who exemplifies academic dedication and community leadership. This award is $1200, paid out in the student’s first year after leaving college.

Applicants can apply directly through Te Puke High School.

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E.Griego & L.Switzer Jazz & Classical Music/Classical Arts Scholarship

The E. Griego & L. Switzer Jazz & Classical Music / Classical Arts Scholarship is for Year 13 students who excel in classical music and/or classical arts, who have shown discipline and commitment to their art during their high school years, and who show a clear determination and commitment to continue in their chosen field of music/art via tertiary studies.

The scholarship is worth $18,000 and is available every three years to ONE student. Candidates may apply from the following schools:

• Mount Maunganui College
• Otumoetai College
• Tauranga Boys' College
• Katikati College

Applications open via each school from August onwards. Contact the school principal or the Year Dean for more information.

About Elizabeth Griego & Lee Switzer
Elizabeth was born in Los Angeles and completed her Bachelor of Science in Bacteriology at the University of California, then worked as a bacterial geneticist.

Several years later, she obtained a Doctor of Optometry from the Southern California School of Optometry in Fullerton, California. She became an optometrist before retiring and moving to New Zealand in 2003.

Elizabeth’s passion is classical music, having grown up in a musical family with one brother playing the bassoon very well and the other playing the clarinet professionally in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Elizabeth was skilled at the oboe, amateur playing in the LA Youth Symphony Orchestra, and was the first chair of the University of California at Davis Orchestra.

Lee was born in the United States and graduated from university with a BA in Liberal Arts and Masters in Library Science. He is a dual national with American and New Zealand citizenship and has worked as a librarian in academic and public libraries.

Lee passed away in September 2024. He was an itinerate photographer with photos in the National Library of NZ, Tauranga Heritage Collection, Tauranga Pae Koroki, San Francisco Public Library, and various New Zealand books. More of his photos and stories can be found online: https://www.artbop.co.nz/. Lee has volunteered in various organisations and is interested in NZ history, classical, jazz and blues music. 

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Eva Trowbridge Scholarship

The Eva Trowbridge scholarship is for adult students at the University of Waikato Tauranga campus.

A one-year scholarship of $5,000 is provided each year for an adult student (aged 25 or over) who studies at the University of Waikato Tauranga Campus and resides in the Western Bay of Plenty.

Applications close on 15 October each year.

You can apply online on the University of Waikato website under Scholarships; for more information, contact scholarships@waikato.ac.nz or call 07 858 5096.

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FAME Trust

FAME Emerging Practitioner Award 

FAME Emerging Practitioner Award - For performing arts students at the following institutions:

• University of Auckland
• University of Waikato
• Victoria University of Wellington
• University of Otago
• Toi Whakaari
• NZ School of Dance

Each of the above institutions will have a $10,000 award to offer to a talented student who has completed at least their first year of study.

The successful candidate will demonstrate a high level of skill in one of the following areas of study:

• Music: instrumentalists, operatic singers, composers, producers, conductors, taonga puoro players
• Contemporary dance: dancers, choreographers, producers, kapa haka leaders
• Theatre: actors, directors, playwrights, storytellers, theatrical technicians.

In addition, the candidate will demonstrate the ability to have a successful career that will have a positive impact on the cultural life of New Zealand.

 FAME Year 13 Performing Arts Scholarship

This is a new award valued at $5,000 that will be awarded annually to a Year 13 Western Bay of Plenty student who intends to undertake tertiary study the following year in preparation for a career in the performing arts.

For further information, please contact Annie Hill at Creative Bay of Plenty.

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Friends of Bethlehem College Scholarship

The Friends of Bethlehem College Scholarship provides an annual tertiary scholarship for a senior Bethlehem College student. 

Criteria for the selection of the successful recipient: 

• A student who exhibits in their lifestyle and choices the values and goals of Bethlehem College
• A student who demonstrates Christian service and leadership in their school and community life
• Financial hardship and academic excellence may also be considered, but they are not the primary criteria

Students must be:

• New Zealand citizens or permanent residents
• In Year 12 or 13 at Bethlehem College, having been enrolled there at least two years
• Intending to enrol in a full time programme at a New Zealand tertiary institute in the following year, or in an approved field of study

Applications are done through Bethlehem College. Contact the school directly for more information. 

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Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction

This is an annual award of $60,000 for the best contemporary adult fiction novel. The winner is announced each May at the Ockham NZ Book Awards.

Generous Acorn donor Jann Medlicott has been sponsoring the annual Fiction Prize since its inception in 2016, providing incredible recognition and support for New Zealand authors.

Further information about the award can be found at: www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards.

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Jann Medlicott Creative Arts Scholarship

For a student who is preparing for a career in creative arts

This is an annual scholarship valued at $5,000 for someone undertaking or about to commence further study in preparation for a career in creative arts.

Applications open on 1 July and close on 8 August each year and are made through Creative Bay of Plenty at www.creative bop.org.nz.

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John and Renie Dennis Scholarship

 John Dennis was born in 1941 in Wellington, while Renie Dennis was born in the UK in 1948 and emigrated to New Zealand on the steamship “Captain Cook” in 1951. The two met and fell in love in Tauranga in the late 1950’s, and after John’s father died, they took over the small family engineering business – growing it into the regional powerhouse J. E. Dennis Steel.

John and Renie shared a lifelong passion for education and were strong supporters of the alma matter of their grandson Cory, Otumoetai College. After John passed away in 2021 they generously donated a scholarship to continue in perpetuity to the Acorn Foundation, to allow a student from Otumoetai College the opportunity to pursue higher education who would not otherwise have had that chance because of hardships.

This scholarship will be $30,000 paid out over 3 years, and will be issued once every 3 years. It will be paid out in 2 lump sums each year, one at the beginning of the year, and one after the start of the second semester. Any winner must remain enrolled in full-time university study, and pass all their papers over the course of the scholarship to remain eligible.

A successful applicant will be an academically able and highly motivated young person who faces severe hardships that would potentially prevent them from studying at university. While this can include financial hardships, that is not the only type that will be considered by the scholarship committee.

Interested students can apply via Otumoetai College. Only students who have been students at the college for their Years 12 and 13, and are moving on to full-time tertiary education at an institute in New Zealand will be considered.

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Momenta: Live the Life You Love Award

The award is available to any person over the age of 13 years, with a disability living in the Western Bay of Plenty or Eastern Bay of Plenty. While the award is intended primarily for individuals, small groups (such as duets, trios, or quartets) will be considered eligible in applying for a common project or objective.

What can I use the award for?

• We don’t want to have strict limitations; we want to know about your idea. We want you to think boldly, to be daring and courageous in achieving your best life.
• 2025 is the first year of the Momenta Live the Life You Love Award and will have a fund of $10,000 available.
• You can apply for the full fund or a partial amount.

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Ngāi Tamarāwaho Peri Kohu Memorial Scholarship

The Ngāi Tamarāwaho Peri Kohu Memorial Scholarship is aimed at developing professional expertise for the long-term benefit of the hapū. Applicants must whakapapa to the hapū, must have completed at least one year of study towards a professional qualification, and be intending to continue said full-time study at a tertiary institution in the year following this application.

Preference will be given to a student studying any of medicine, dentistry, engineering, law, accountancy, business studies or science. The Scholarship is an annual award of $5,000, paid in two installments to the successful candidate. Applications close on 30 November each year.

Click here to view the application form and criteria or contact Jo Wilson at the Acorn Foundation for more information.

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Outward Bound Scholarships to the Tangaroa Watch Course

For 14 students in Year 12 from any of the colleges in the Western Bay of Plenty and Whakatane

Year 12 students for local high schools and colleges are chosen by their school in conjunction with Outward Bound staff. Selection criteria includes a student’s potential due to their commitment to their school and their community, demonstrated financial need, and an opportunity to improve their self-confidence.

The 21-day Tangaroa Watch course of Outward Bound uses outdoor challenges and adventures to build transferable life-long skills and attitudes that are applicable to work, school and home.

Enquiries should be directed through Outward Bound either by calling 04 472 3440 or by visiting the website: www.outwardbound.co.nz.

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Page/Acorn Engineering Scholarships

For apprentices and employees of Tauranga engineering firms. 

Up to seven Page/Acorn Engineering scholarships are awarded each year, valued at $7,500 over two years ($4,500 to the company; $3,000 to the recipient). These scholarships are open to apprentices or adult employees of Western Bay of Plenty engineering firms who are studying to gain an engineering qualification.

Applications close on 31 March each year and should be made through the participating engineering firm.

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