A move to place applications for Rotorua Trust scholarships online is being hailed as a success.
The Trust presented 43 Rotorua school students with Tertiary Study Awards in February, with each recipient receiving a grant valued at $2,000 a year for a maximum of four years. Making the awards, Trust chairman Grahame Hall said almost 840 Rotorua students had received the awards, at a value of nearly $6 million, since the scheme started in 1996.
This year’s awards were the first time applications were only received online, and Trust Chief Executive Stuart Burns says students benefited by being able to do applications in their own time.
From the Trust’s viewpoint, it meant the applications were received in a similar format and this provided greater consistency when comparing students’ applications against one another.
“We also used to interview students but It was acknowledged that some students interviewed better than others, so the online system helped even the field out for all applicants”.
As the Trust comes up to its twentieth year of providing the scholarships, it is looking at establishing an alumni organisation made up of past students. Many have gone on to successful careers in various fields and it is also hoped they may, in the future, wish to contribute jointly with the Trust to its scholarship programme.
Learn more about the scholarships and view the 2014 list of recipients at the Rotorua Trust web site at www.rotoruatrust.org.nz
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