"Through Te Kakau a Māui, more than 300 students have begun their tertiary education at UC, building a living legacy that stays true to the vision of UC's founders.
Brett Berquist
AVC Engagement
“Te Kakau a Māui works because it doesn’t end when you’re chosen for it — the programme stays with you,” says Law student and scholarship recipient Ashlin Chandra.
Te Kakau a Māui scholarships are our way of investing in students from across the South Island. As Chancellor Amy Adams has said, these scholarships are a way of giving back to our community following 150 years of community support.
Te Kakau a Māui is the first scholarship of this scale in Aotearoa New Zealand where applicants are not filtered based on their academic grades but rather more holistically, considering their resilience and commitment to making a positive change in their communities. Recipients are from low decile schools, and many are the first in their family to attend university.
“The University was founded on principles of accessible education, service to the community, and the encouragement of talent without barriers,” says Assistant Vice- Chancellor Engagement Brett Berquist. “Through Te Kakau a Māui, more than 300 students have begun their tertiary education at UC, building a living legacy that stays true to the vision of UC’s founders.”
Te Kakau a Māui provides students with comprehensive pastoral support along with full tuition. It puts students in an environment where they get exposed to further education – formal and social – that they can carry forward into the world.
The enrichment programme focuses on career pathway planning, success coaching, and building a community of support. Students are connected through social hubs called homebases to build bonds and create a deeper sense of belonging. Ashlin says she would struggle without the support programme. “The homebase is like a safety net where you can go for guidance. My homebase leader has been very helpful in the transition to university life.” She adds that Senior Success Coach Angus Howat is “there for everyone in the programme and makes sure we are all doing okay.”
Second year law student Ashlin Chandra, pictured with Te Aratai College Tumuaki-Principal Richard Edmundson.
In a recent article for Times Higher Education, Howat wrote: “Authentic connection to the campus, to people, and to purpose is critical to any new student support programme, particularly if an aim is to reduce the success equity gap.” Ashlin’s dream of tertiary education, along with that of many other rangatahi (young people), was made possible by our community.
A significant investment of $825,000 from the McCall MacBain Foundation helped launch the pastoral support programme. “We know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. “We know that students from low socio-economic backgrounds may be less likely to see themselves as scholarship candidates, or even as candidates for higher education.
Te Kakau a Māui scholarships seek to change that by investing in young people who will go on to contribute positively to their communities and to society over the course of their lives,” says McCall MacBain Foundation CEO Alexandra Conliffe.
The results speak for themselves. Compared to control groups from the same demographics, Te Kakau a Māui scholars have higher GPAs, higher pass rates, and more of them have gone on to their second year of study. But it’s about more than just grades, scholarship recipient Christiane McLeod, now in her second year of Engineering, says: “I’ve learnt a lot more about success than just academics. Mainly, that there’s no achievement without people to share it with. In the long run, the scholarship isn’t just supporting me; it’s supporting everyone I walk with along the way.”
John and Marcy McCall MacBain of the McCall MacBain Foundation.
The second cohort of 153 students started their degrees at UC through Te Kakau a Māui in 2024. Several of the scholarship recipients from 2023 have become mentors for the new students, while the support programme continues for those students entering their second year of study.
We gratefully acknowledge the McCall MacBain Foundation and the hundreds of other generous donors who are helping open doors to tertiary education for students like Christiane and Ashlin.
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