Each year a group of exceptional Māori students is selected to continue the legacy of Victoria Cross winner Second Lieutenant Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu and the other members of the 28th (Māori) Battalion.
Read about the 2016/17 winners of the Ngarimu scholarships .
Māori Battalion! March to victory!
Māori Battalion! Staunch and true!
Māori Battalion! March to glory
Take the honour of the people with you ...
About the scholarships
6 scholarships are available:
- 3 undergraduate awards - $10,000 each per year of full time study, for up to 5 years
- one masters award - $15,000 per year of full time study, for up to 2 years
- one masters education research award – $15,000 per year of full time study, for up to 2 years and a paid internship with the Ministry of Education for up to 6 weeks for each year of study.
- one doctoral scholarship - $25,000 per year of full time study, for up to 2 years. The doctoral scholarship is to support doctoral candidates through the final 24 months of study.
Background to the scholarships
In 1939, when New Zealand joined forces with the allies, Māori men and women volunteered and made a significant contribution in all areas of the defence forces and home services. Notable among them were the recruits who formed the 28th (Māori) Battalion. They fought with distinction in many engagements and perhaps the soldier whose deeds are best known among Māori is Second Lieutenant Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu, whose heroism and ultimate sacrifice were acknowledged by the highest military award the British Commonwealth could bestow: the Victoria Cross.
In June 1943, soon after Ngārimu had been killed in action, a gathering of Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau ā Apanui and Pākehā East Coast people took place to consider how to best commemorate the bravery of Ngārimu, and the other members of the 28th Battalion, whose lives had been lost in World War Two. It was decided to establish a scholarship fund to support Māori education. The Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Scholarship Fund Board was established for the purposes of administering funds that promoted Māori education.
The scholarships support Māori excellence at tertiary level with academic merit being a high priority in the selection.
Ake ake kia kaha e!
