Your gifts and talents are needed in the world. But financial challenges can make it harder to reach your goals. That’s why First Foundation is working to level the playing field for bright young Kiwis like you.

The First Foundation programme is much more than a scholarship. Not only will you get financial aid, you’ll have a dedicated mentor who’ll be there for you along the way – so even if you’re the first in your family to go to university, you’ll have support from someone who’s been there before. Plus, you’ll get exposure to the world of work to grow your skills, giving you access to the professional networks most people rely on for work opportunities.

New Zealand’s future depends on you

Your gifts and talents are needed in the world. But financial challenges can make it harder to reach your goals. That’s why First Foundation is working to level the playing field for bright young Kiwis like you.

The First Foundation programme is much more than a scholarship. Not only will you get financial help, you’ll have a dedicated mentor who’ll be there for you along the way – so even if you’re the first in your family to go to university, you’ll have support from someone who’s been there before. Plus, you’ll get paid work experience to grow your skills, giving you access to the professional networks most people rely on for work opportunities.

“I can see myself owning a house for my family”

“My income is now higher than my mother who has been working for more than 30 years. This allows me to be able to help support my family and save toward my goal of owning a family home. I’ve got the confidence to know that I can step into any space and I deserve to be there because I worked hard for it.”

What you’ll get

Our four-year programme gives you ongoing support throughout university and into the professional world.

Meet other future leaders

As a First Foundation scholar, you’ll be part of a wider whānau of driven young Kiwis, with a support network you can reach out to in years to come.

Are you eligible?

Each year we have a limited number of scholarships to offer. These are funded by ‘scholarship partners’, which are businesses, trusts and personal funders who want to help deserving young people make a difference in their community.

Scholarship partners each have their own criteria (on top of our general criteria). If your application is shortlisted, we’ll match you with a scholarship partner who we think is a good fit for you.

To apply for our standard scholarships, you’ll need to meet these criteria:

• Have a maximum annual household income of $75,000 for 1-2 dependants OR $90,000 for 3 or more dependants. Dependants are children of the parents/caregivers in your household, who are financially dependent on their income to cover primary living costs (such as accommodation, food and educational costs).
• Be enrolled in Year 12 or 13 at a New Zealand secondary school. There are limited (10%) scholarships available for Year 13 students.
• Have an overall Merit or Excellence endorsement in Level 1 (or Level 2 if you’re in Year 13).
• Be a New Zealand Citizen, NZ Resident, or have refugee status.

We also offer some corporate scholarships, where you’ll need to be employed by OR related to an employee of a corporate scholarship partner (along with some other criteria).

Find out more about our eligibility criteria for standard and corporate scholarships.

Meet other future leaders

As a First Foundation scholar, you’ll be part of a wider whānau of driven young Kiwis, with a support network you can reach out to in years to come.

• Have a maximum annual household income of $75,000 for 1-2 dependants OR $90,000 for 3 or more dependants. Dependants are children of the parents/caregivers in your household, who are financially dependent on their income to cover primary living costs (such as accommodation, food and educational costs).
• Be enrolled in Year 12 at a New Zealand secondary school.
• Have an overall Merit or Excellence endorsement in Level 1.
• Be a New Zealand Citizen, NZ Resident, or have refugee status.

We also offer some corporate scholarships, where you’ll need to be employed by OR related to an employee of a corporate scholarship partner (along with some other criteria).

Find out more about our eligibility criteria for standard and corporate scholarships.

How to apply

Our application process helps us get to know you, so we can offer our limited placements to the students who will benefit the most.

Places in our program are funded by scholarship partners, who are businesses, trusts, and personal funders. Each of our scholarship partners has their own criteria (on top of our general criteria). After your interview with First Foundation (see stage 2 below) your application may be referred to your potential scholarship partner to decide if you’re a good fit for their scholarship/s