SCHOLARSHIPS
Outward Bound New Zealand is dedicated to reaching people all across the country with our life-changing programmes, regardless of their ability to contribute to course costs. We believe in our courses and at Outward Bound we want to make them available to as many people as possible. If the cost of a course is beyond your financial means, you may be eligible for a scholarship.
SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY
Our scholarship funding is available for our 21-day Classic and 8-day Discovery courses.
Applicants must meet the following funding criteria:
I am a New Zealand Citizen or Resident currently living in New Zealand
I am aged between 18-26 years
I am volunteering in my community or I am experiencing financial/personal hardship
We also have funding available for our Adapted courses for students with physical disabilities or intellectual disabilities. Please get in touch with our Adapted team directly to discuss.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
DISCOVERY SCHOLARSHIP (8-DAY COURSE)
Scholarships available for 1st November - 8th November 2025 and 14th November - 21st November 2025. Apply now!
KA MAHI SCHOLARSHIP (21-DAY COURSE)
Limited scholarships available for our Classic course on 1st November - 21st November 2025. Apply now!
OUR KA MAHI SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME
Ka mahi! Great work!
Our Ka Mahi Scholarship programme is supported by a variety of individuals, organisations and foundations. The programme makes participation on our Classic course possible for people who come from less advantaged socio-economic and/or cultural backgrounds and those actively volunteering in their community.
Over the past 63 years, support from our generous donors has provided the opportunity for hundreds of under-resourced youth to realise their full potential. A full list of our supporters can be found here.
The programme is guided by the principle that every young person should be able to access the opportunity to experience adventure and challenge, develop character and compassion, and learn leadership skills and service ethics, regardless of financial ability.
Ka Mahi Scholarships are only available for New Zealand Citizens/Residents aged 18-26.
SCHOLARSHIP COVERAGE
The average amount Outward Bound NZ can provide through scholarship support ranges between 20-50% of a full course fee. The funding amount is directly based on the level of need and the motivation to attend demonstrated by the student’s application and our donors’ designations. Our enrolments team determine how much we can offer after reviewing each application.
FUNDING OTHER COURSES
Unfortunately, we do not offer scholarships for courses outside of our Classic and Adapted courses. However, many of students successfully fundraise to help cover their course fees.
If you are interested in attending another course, please refer to our Funding page for advice on how to get to Outward Bound if there is a financial barrier.
FUNDRAISING STORIES
Danielle's Fundraising Initiative
After receiving a scholarship to attend Outward Bound, Danielle asked her community to help cover the remaining portion of her course fee and travel costs. Through Danielle's initiative and the generosity of her community, she was able to get to Outward Bound.
Here are just a few of our awesome Community Partner organisations: