Toloa Scholarships

From 2025, Le Va will be administering the Toloa Secondary and Tertiary School Scholarships on behalf of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.

About the Toloa Scholarships

Toloa Scholarships aim to encourage Pacific students to pursue learning Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The scholarships are available at both secondary and tertiary levels, along with a community fund to foster STEM engagement across Pacific communities.

Applications for the Toloa Secondary and Tertiary Scholarships are now open!

Apply now!

Important dates

Applications open Tuesday 10 December 2024.

Applications close Friday 17 January 2025.

Secondary students will be notified of the scholarship outcome in late January 2025.

Tertiary students will be notified of the scholarship outcome in early February 2025.

How much financial assistance is provided

Secondary students will receive $1,000 (excluding GST) towards their school fees, school uniforms, stationery, STEM school trips, and STEM programmes/courses organised by your school. This year’s secondary scholarships will no longer include digital devices as part of the non-monetary benefits, unlike in previous years.
Tertiary students in STEM courses can receive up to $10,000 for one year of full-time study. This may cover tuition, compulsory course related costs, accommodation expenses for university halls and, for PhD students, research or fieldwork expenses.

Who can apply

The scholarship is only open to New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.

Secondary students

To be eligible, you must:

demonstrate a genuine interest and commitment to Pacific culture, languages, identities, and communities
be enrolled in a New Zealand secondary school, alternative education or verified home school
provide school reports and academic results from the past 12 months (2024 academic year)
be enrolled in at least two STEM subjects for Year 9/10 or three STEM subjects for Year 11-13 in the upcoming academic year. Evidence will be required for Year 11-13 students.

Tertiary students

To be eligible, you must:

demonstrate a genuine interest and commitment to Pacific culture, languages, identities, and communities
be enrolled full-time in a STEM-related programme at a New Zealand tertiary institution in 2025 and provide proof of enrolment.

How to apply

Register an account on Le Va’s application portal.
Answer eligibility questions to confirm your eligibility.
If eligible, select the Toloa Scholarship year level and complete the application.
Agree to the declaration and complete the final checklist, ensuring all required documents are uploaded and responses are accurate.
Submit your application.

Download our ‘How to’ guide for more detailed information: Applying for Toloa Scholarships: ‘How to’ guide

Important Information

If you are submitting applications for multiple students, please note that each student requires a separate application, with a unique email and profile.
You can return to your application anytime before submission by logging in and selecting the “Apply” tab.
Incomplete applications will not be successfully submitted – incomplete tabs and fields will be highlighted red.

Get in touch

For any questions about your application, please contact us at toloa@leva.co.nz

Frequently asked questions

STEM refers to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects.

The Toloa programme celebrates the rich history of Pacific peoples as navigators, explorers, innovators, and experts in STEM. These skills are valuable and open a wide range of career pathways and opportunities.

For secondary students
Funds will be paid directly to your secondary school to manage on your behalf.

At the request of your parents, the school can release funds to cover study-related expenses, including school fees, uniforms, stationery, STEM-related school trips, and STEM programmes or courses organised by the school.

For tertiary students
During the application process, you will need to provide an invoice from your tertiary institution for your course of study.

The funds will be paid directly to your tertiary institution based on the invoice we receive. Further information regarding access to course-related costs will be provided if your application is successful.

The Toloa Secondary and Tertiary Scholarships do not cover the following:

Students who are not enrolled in a formal New Zealand secondary school, vocational training provider, alternative education or verified home school or a formal New Zealand tertiary institution.
Students who are not enrolled in STEM subjects.
Travel expenses whether local, national, and international except for PhD students.
For-profit activities.
Initiatives that do not align with the priorities of this scholarship fund.
Programmes and activities delivered overseas, including in New Zealand realm countries.
Wages, salaries, infrastructure, fixed assets or capital expenditure.
Debt repayment or servicing.