Postgraduate Infant and Toddler Scholarship

Scholarships can help remove financial barriers, allowing students from diverse backgrounds to access higher education. This promotes inclusion and ensures a broader range of perspectives and experiences within our communities. Offering a Postgraduate Infant and Toddler scholarship supports our commitment to equity and growing teachers who develop specialised knowledge about the well-being, learning and development of infants and toddlers.

Launched in 2026 and beyond, this scholarship will go some way to reducing the socio-economic barriers that may prevent people from realising their aspirations to enrol in postgraduate study. This scholarship will be awarded to one student enrolling in our Postgraduate Diploma in Infant and Toddler Learning and Development programme per year, based on equity, merit, and commitment to their local community and tamariki.

A Postgraduate Infant and Toddler scholarship will pay study fees for the full duration of the following programme:

• Postgraduate Diploma in Infant and Toddler Learning and Development

The Postgraduate Infant and Toddler scholarship is intended to support highly deserving applicants who would otherwise struggle to afford postgraduate study because of socio-economic barriers.

The scholarship will be awarded competitively to students based on equity, merit and commitment to engaging in research that betters their local community.

Applicants will be considered and recommended by the Te Rito Maioha Scholarship Committee, before the Chief Executive makes the final decision. Successful applicants will be notified within three weeks of the application closing date.

Applicants must:

• be enrolled in the Postgraduate Diploma in Infant and Toddler Learning and Development programme.
• be able to demonstrate how the scholarship can contribute to their success in the programme and their future as a teacher.
• be New Zealand Citizens or Permanent Residents, currently residing in Aotearoa.
• intend to begin study in the semester following their application, either full-time or part-time.

Your scholarship application must be supported by the following documents:

1. A personal statement, less than two pages, outlining:
   • Your goals for your teaching career
   • Your involvement and commitment to your community and tamariki
   • Your personal attributes, achievements and strengths that you feel would make you an outstanding kaiako, teacher or faiāʻoga in your community.
   • Why do you want to study with us
     
     

2. Two references from reputable people in your community who know you well.
   This could include a leader of a community organisation, church or iwi group you are connected with; an ECE service manager or school principal where you are employed or volunteer.
   They cannot be a family member.
   
   References serve to confirm that the applicant is of good character, genuinely committed to their studies, and likely to make a meaningful contribution to the education sector. The referee’s role is to affirm that the individual they are endorsing is a worthy candidate for the scholarship.

3. IRD statement of earnings. Depending on your situation, you need to provide:
   • an IRD statement of earnings from parents and/or caregivers who provide you with financial support; or
   • If you are self-supporting, you need to supply your own IRD statement of earnings (and an IRD earnings statement for your partner/spouse, if you have one).

Applications close on:

• 9 January 2026 for the Semester One
  intake of the Postgraduate Diploma in Infant and Toddler Learning and Development programme.

To be considered, the following must be received by 5pm on the closing date:

• Complete the online scholarship application form
• Provide all supporting documents including references and IRD statements.
• Complete an application to study in the intended programme. Apply via the Apply Now button on the navigation bar.

Note: Late or partially completed applications will not be considered for a scholarship.

• A completed online application form and all supporting documents must be submitted by 5pm on the closing date.

Late applications will not be accepted. - All offers of the Postgraduate Infant and Toddler scholarship are conditional upon the recipient being confirmed to begin study in the semester following application.

• The scholarship cannot be deferred to a later semester or year. Applicants who wish to delay their study to a later semester or year may re-apply for the scholarship.

• Should the recipient withdraw from study during the tenure of this scholarship or fail to achieve satisfactory progress, Te Rito Maioha reserves the right to withdraw the scholarship. Recipients must advise Te Rito Maioha if they intend to withdraw.

• During their study, recipients of Te Rito Maioha scholarships are expected to:
  • show outstanding commitment to their study
  • contribute to their ECE centres, schools and community.
  • act as ambassadors for Te Rito Maioha and participate in appropriate events or marketing if requested.
    
    

• After graduation, scholarship recipients are expected to continue to make a positive contribution to the education sector and their community.

• At the discretion of the Chief Executive, the application of the terms and conditions of the Scholarship may be modified in special circumstances or to avoid hardship to any candidate for the Scholarship.