The TESSOL scholarship is for registered teachers with a current practicing certificate who are employed at state or state-integrated schools or kura, and early learning services.

People employed as teacher aides are not eligible for this scholarship.

What the scholarship covers

The TESSOL scholarship covers fees for up to 60 credits of a qualification. Which courses you take depends on the qualification you are studying towards. The scholarship is for a duration of up to 2 years.

The qualifications we fund courses for are at:

• The University of Auckland (Faculty of Education)
• University of Canterbury (College of Education)
• Massey University.

These documents have more information about the qualifications the TESSOL scholarship applies to.

Who can apply

New Zealand-registered teachers who are currently employed as teachers at a state school or kura or early learning service can apply.

You must have at least 2 years of teaching experience and be a New Zealand resident or citizen.

You can be employed full-time or part-time.

Examples of teachers who can apply are:

• a subject or class teacher
• an early learning teacher
• a teacher in bilingual and immersion settings
• a specialist English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) teacher
• a member of the senior leadership team
• a Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO)
• a learning support coordinator (LSC)
• a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB).

More than 1 teacher at your school can apply for a scholarship.

If you have received the TESSOL scholarship before, you are not eligible.

How to apply

Before you apply, you need to ask your school or early learning service for:

• their school or early learning service number
• the number of students enrolled
• the number of staff with TESSOL qualifications
• the number of ESOL-funded students
• the number of ESOL-funded students from a migrant and former refugee background
• the number of ESOL-funded students from a Pacific background
• the number of international fee-paying students.

You must also fill in the supplementary information form to include with your application. This must be signed by your principal or early learning service director.

You can then fill in the application form.