New scholarships for Pacific students

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
Pacific Peoples

New scholarships aimed at getting more Pacific people into the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics have been announced by Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

The Toloa Scholarships aim to encourage Pacific people to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at tertiary level and ultimately increase the number of Pacific people in those fields.

Up to four Toloa Scholarships of $25,000 over three years each, funded by the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, will be offered each year to first year undergraduate and postgraduate Pacific students studying STEM-related papers.

Successful applicants will also be offered an industry internship in the final year of study.

“There are not enough Pacific people working in these fields. It is important that this workforce reflects the make-up of our general population. Our government has recognised the need to encourage young Pacific people into these sectors. That is why these scholarships have been set up,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

The Toloa Scholarships are open to Pacific peoples who are New Zealand citizens or permanent residents and who are or will be enrolled in a STEM-related full-time degree or course at an approved NZQA accredited tertiary provider in New Zealand for the 2016 academic year.

The name of the scholarship, “Toloa”, derives from the Tongan name for the Southern Cross. Navigators used the Toloa constellation to determine south when travelling between the islands of the Tongan Archipelago and beyond.

Applications for next year open today and close on 11 December 2015. For more information go to: www.pacificstem.org.nz