The Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa Iwi Trust’s education grant and scholarship funding programme for 2018 is now open for member applications. As with each year, applications are open for three months to NRAIT owners who meet the criteria for each grant.

As a Trust, our aim is to provide opportunities, and make education accessible to all of our owners, including tamariki, rangatahi and adults too. We aim to support our children and young people to become employable adults with skills that will benefit them and society. To ensure all owners feel supported through their education journey, rather than just focusing on tertiary education, we also offer grants towards trades training, adult education, and study assistance for primary and secondary students.

An important focus area for us is developing people to work in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas. We aim to encourage our owners who are about to enter tertiary education, to consider these areas of study, as these are key industries where there is high demand for young, skilled workers.

As well as STEM subjects, we want to continue the entrepreneurial legacy of our tūpuna, and encourage owners to look into business management and other related subject areas. These are important skills that will not only benefit the community, but also the Trust. We are always looking to bring new talent, with the right skills and experience, on board to drive the organisation forward.

We also understand the importance of supporting those already on their journey, and have grants to help you achieve this whether it’s learning a trade, or any other adult education programme.

We are proud of the successes of our previous education funding recipients - you can read their stories here - and we look forward to supporting more of our owners in their studies.

Applications are now open, and can only be done online. These must be completed by 31 August 2018. If you have questions about the application process, please contact info@nrait.co.nz.

Rōpata Taylor