17 July 2024 at 10:00 am
NZ Schools Scholarship Programme offers exciting study path for Vietnamese students
Since it was first launched in 2019, the New Zealand Schools Scholarships programme has supported many talented Vietnamese students in realising their study goals in various schools across New Zealand. Read on to find out about the latest round of scholarship awards for 2024 and to see the warm virtual welcome they’ve received from schools eagerly awaiting their arrival.
The New Zealand Schools Scholarships (NZSS) is a scholarship programme offered exclusively for Vietnamese students in grades 8 – 10. Since it was first launched in 2019, many young Vietnamese students have studied at New Zealand schools across the country thanks to the support of this Programme. Many of these students have gone on to secure scholarships at prestigious universities in New Zealand and other countries, achieving notable success on their academic paths.
Applications for NZSS 2024 were accepted between 22 January to 17 March 2024 and after several screening rounds, 14 NZSS winners were selected. Each scholarship provides a 50% subsidy on the full-year school tuition fees of the first year of study at a New Zealand secondary school.
A standout aspect of this year’s programme was the dual-opportunity scheme in which aspiring candidates who did not receive the NZSS were able to be considered for other scholarships offered by New Zealand schools. This saw an additional four students awarded other school scholarships bringing the total number of school scholarship awardees to 18.
The group of scholarship winners on the stage at the Awards ceremony.
On 9 June, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) organised the Awards Ceremony and Pre-Departure Briefing to recognise the scholarship winners as well as provide information in preparation for their journey ahead. Mr. Scott James, New Zealand Consul General in Viet Nam, attended and delivered a welcome remark, in which he emphasised the mutual respect and understanding that New Zealand and Viet Nam’s relationship is built upon.
Mr James added that “this scholarship programme signals the New Zealand Government’s continuing commitment to growing the relationship between our two countries.”
From left to right, Mr Ben Burrowes. ENZ’s Acting General Manager - International, NZSS Scholarship winner, Ngoc Han, and Mr. Scott James, New Zealand Consul General in Viet Nam.
Mr. Ben Burrowes, ENZ’s Acting General Manager – International, was also present at the event and awarded the winners a scholarship certificate and offered his congratulations. In his speech he reflected that the first eight months of 2023 saw school enrolments of Vietnamese students increase over that of 2022 to a total of 286.
“Given the care that every parent takes when deciding where their children should continue their education, the rebound for school students following the pandemic naturally took a little longer.
“We know that this number will continue to increase as life resumes its normal pattern, especially as parents look to the future, and what is best for their child’s development and education,” said Mr Burrowes.
For the pre-departure briefing, ENZ provided a brief presentation, followed by former NZSS winners, Thuy Truc (2023), Thao Nguyen (2023) and Tuan Minh (2019) sharing their study experiences with the audience. Representatives from the Vietnamese Students Association in New Zealand, Ms. Trang from HHT magazine who joined the New Zealand familiarisation trip in 2023, and Mr. Phu & Ms. Ngoc – parents of students who are currently studying in New Zealand also spoke.
Feedback from parents and students received by ENZ after the event was positive, with many commenting on how welcome and proud they felt as scholarship winners. We look forward to welcoming these students to New Zealand very soon!
