Learning / Senior School (Years 11 to 13)

Scholarships & Grants

Scholarship Information

Scholarships recognise academic excellence and potential and provide talented students with the opportunity to further develop their knowledge and skills.

A scholarship award allows students to take up new challenges and experiences which may not otherwise be available.

Universities of New Zealand check for Scholarships that Universities offer specific to your area of study.

Ultimate New Zealand Scholarship Guide for more information on other Scholarships available in NZ.

Generosity New Zealand website givME offers access to more than 4,000 scholarships and awards for individuals. (Free from your local library.)


Orewa College Allan William Shaw Scholarships

Mr Shaw was an Hibiscus Coast resident who left Orewa College students a generous provision for scholarships. These are administered by the Public Trust.

Application forms are available online at 'Smarty Grants'. They open each year on 1 July and close at 5 pm 15 August.

The link for the current year, when it is made available for us, will be updated on Careers Google Classroom - Scholarships - university Scholarships.


College Testimonials and References

An Orewa College Testimonial is a statement of what a student has achieved at Orewa College. It would usually include such things as:

  • Academic Achievements
  • Extra-curricular activities (e.g. sport, drama, music, leadership)
  • Comments from Staff
  • Attendance Data

A Scholarship Reference is often required when applying for a scholarship and usually requires more specific information. Your referee (person who writes your reference) needs about 10 days to write a reference for you (so start early).

Application Forms for Scholarship References and Testimonials are available on Careers Google Classroom - Scholarships - Scholarship References/Testimonial Application doc.

College Testimonials

An Orewa College Testimonial is a statement of what a student has achieved at Orewa College.

It would usually include such things as:

  • Academic achievements
  • Extra curricular activities (e.g. sport, drama, music, debating, leadership)
  • Comments from Staff
  • Attendance data

How do I get a Testimonial?

  • Collect a Testimonial/Scholarship Reference Application Form from the Careers Department
  • Make sure you tick the Testimonial box.
  • When completed, hand it back to Careers.
  • This information, along with comments from your teachers, will be used to write a testimonial for you

Scholarship References

A scholarship reference is often required when applying for a scholarship. A scholarship reference is usually more targeted and so provides more specific information. Your referee (person who writes your reference) needs about 10 days to write a reference for you (so start early).

How do I get a Testimonial/Scholarship Reference?

  1. Collect a Testimonial/Scholarship Reference Application Form from the Careers Department.
  2. Make sure you complete application well and that it has ALL the required information attached.
  3. Students then hand this Application Form to their preferred person (or the criteria may specify a person) who will then write the reference: eg HOD, Dean, Teacher or HOD Careers.
It is the students' responsibility to maintain contact with their referee to ensure their reference is provided on time.

If a university requires you to nominate a school representative from whom they can request a reference, and you are not sure who to ask, then provide them with the following email address: s.jamieson@orewacollege.nz