Reaching our potential: Partnership brings extra support for students

More money is being targeted to support Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporation whānau in their studies.

There is more cash in the kitty for educational grants thanks to a new partnership between Te Āti Hau Trust and Toitū Kaupapa Māori Mātauranga, the Māori Education Trust.

A year ago, Te Āti Hau Trust signed a joint-venture scholarship and grants agreement with the Māori Education Trust, which provides funding for Māori undertaking secondary or tertiary study.

The new joint venture added an extra $63,800 from the Māori Education Trust for grant recipients who met its criteria last year – on top of the $107,650 already awarded to those students by Te Āti Hau Trust.

The Māori Education Trust contribution increased the value of the awards to 175 eligible grant recipients by about 60 percent, taking the overall value of the jointventure grants last year to $171,475.

The recipients of the jointventure awards included medical and postgraduate students, undergraduates and Year 10 and Year 11 secondary school students.

Te Āti Hau Trust chair Shar Amner says the ongoing venture with the Māori Education Trust is a partnership that must be celebrated.

The decision to form a partnership followed conversations which showed the Māori Education Trust was a good fit for Te Āti Hau Trust and the values and principles it works to.

“Our partnership enhances the distribution and reach for both of our trusts,” Shar says. “We hope our relationship with the Māori Education Trust will continue to strengthen as we support a growing number of our uri to reach their potential.”

A tripartite agreement has also been established between Te Āti Hau Trust, the Māori Education Trust and Victoria University of Wellington, Te Herenga Waka.

“Ātihau uri have benefited from our longstanding scholarship relationship with Te Herenga Waka, which matched our grants to our Victoria University students dollar for dollar. Now, with the Māori Education Trust at the table, that contribution is increased,” Shar says.

The agreement adds two dollars for every dollar granted by Te Āti Hau Trust to a scholar at Te Herenga Waka. The dollar-for-dollar contribution by both the Māori Education Trust and Te Herenga Waka triples the initial value of the Te Āti Hau Trust grant.

In the 2020/2021 financial year, Te Herenga Waka and the Māori Education Trust each contributed $9750 to match Te Āti Hau Trust grants worth $9750 to 13 uri studying at Victoria University (a total of $29,250).

Shar says these contributions demonstrate the ongoing value to shareholders and their descendants of the joint ventures with the Māori Education Trust and Te Herenga Waka.

The total Māori Education Trust contribution to Te Āti Hau grant recipients in 2020/2021 was $73,600.

Previously known as the Māori Education Foundation, the Māori Education Trust was established in 1961 to support Māori education. It is supported by the Government to administer scholarships on behalf of donors and bequests and gives out more than one million dollars annually to secondary school students, those studying for an initial tertiary qualification and those undertaking post-graduate study.

Māori Education Trust general manager John Cribb says a new relationship framework was implemented last year with the aim of reaching more Māori students around the country.

“Te Āti Hau is one of the first land trusts we built a relationship with,” John says.

“We worked together to bring in the joint-venture concept, and then came in as a third partner for the tripartite agreement with Victoria University.”

John says the Māori Education Trust is looking to further expand its scholarships reach with similar partnerships.

“The more partnerships, the further it spreads the resource, which is supported by the Māori Education Trust and funded by the Ministry of Education.”

Applications for Te Āti Hau Trust education and training grants have four closing dates throughout any year: 31 March, 30 June, 31 August and 31 October.

Applications are open to Year 10 and 11 secondary school students, medical degree students completing their fourth year, postgraduate students in any field, undergraduate students, those in tertiary level studies overseas and those undertaking trades training.