The James (Senior) & Mary Garcia Scholarship - 2026

This round will open at 9:00AM 1 July 2026 (NZST) for submissions.

The James (Senior) & Mary Garcia Scholarship

IMPORTANT: Please read information below to assist you in completing your application online.

Applicants should carefully consider the criteria which may be varied from time to time.

The James (Senior) & Mary Garcia Scholarships are open to students whose permanent residence is in the Taranaki district, with a preference to be given to former Westown Primary School Student. The following article provides some background on the settlor and her family.

The purpose of the Trust is to provide scholarships to assist school leavers aiming to further their education in the area of Journalism and or Music.

Who is eligible: School leavers, or previous successful recipients, who are New Zealand born or hold New Zealand Citizenship who are intending to advance their education with an appropriate tertiary provider with a desire to take up a career in the Music or Journalism industry.

The scholarships will be awarded to applications balancing academic , merit-based and financial need based.

A preference will be given to former students of Westown Primary School.

How much funding is available:  A number of scholarships will be awarded for each discipline. Each scholarship will be valued up to $5,000 awarded for one year only. Please note this amount is indicative only and successful applicants may receive more than this, dependant on the amount of applications received. Successful applicants are permitted to reapply in future years. 

What can the scholarship be used for: Scholarships can be applied towards your Student Loan, tertiary fees (including course fees and Halls of Residence fees) or other expenses relating to your study (including laptop, stationery, travel expenses etc). It is the preference of the Trustee to have payments made to a provider rather than an individual.

The scholarship cannot be used towards the purchase of a car or cell phone.

How to apply: Complete the application form via Public Trust online Granting System ‘Smarty Grants’. A full application will require you to fill in the form and upload the required documents. This includes providing academic details, proposed course of study, financial information, supporting documents. You can save the form at any time and log back in at any time to complete and submit before 5pm on the 31st of August.

Eligibility:

  • The applicant must be a permanent resident in the Taranaki District.
  • The applicant must be a school leaver seeking financial assistance to advance their education at an appropriate tertiary provider such as, but not limited to, a University, Polytechnic, and/or Training School in the area of journalism and or music.
  • The course of study must be delivered by recognised Tertiary Institution and must be at least one year in duration.

Scholarship Terms and Conditions

Applications must be from individuals only and the scholarships will only be awarded to suitable applicants.

  • Decisions regarding scholarships are made on the basis of information provided in the application forms, supporting material and other enquiries.
  • All scholarships are conditional on the applicant being enrolled at the education provider in a course of study as outlined in the application.
  • Scholarships may be approved subject to certain conditions. In such circumstances the funds will normally be held by Public Trust until the conditions have been met.
  • The Committee reserves the right at their discretion to vary, terminate or withhold any scholarship awarded.

The decision of the Committee is final.

Important dates

  • Applications are open from 9am on the 1st of July to 5pm on the 31st August 2026.
  • Applicants will be advised of the outcome by the end of October.

Late applications will not be accepted.

Contact us: Any questions should be directed to Public Trust either by emailing us at funding@publictrust.co.nz or calling us on 0800 371 471.

IMPORTANT: Please read information below to assist you in completing your application online.

Step 1: Determine eligibility

  • Please ensure you have read the Trust’s criteria
  • If you are unsure if you are eligible to apply, please contact us 

Step 2: Register or login to apply online

  • First time users will need to register.

Note: Please store your login details in a safe place for future reference.

  • Once registered, you can login to the system and start your application.

Step 3: Complete your Application

  • The application is best viewed/completed on a non-mobile device.
  • Complete all of the required questions – mandatory questions are marked with an *.
  • Attach all required supporting documents.

Note: Our preferred format for attachments is PDF, Excel, Word or JPG.  Supporting materials cannot exceed 25MB in size, as files exceeding this will not upload.

Hint: Save your work regularly so it is not lost if you time out or lose your connection.

You can save your application at any stage and return to it later. Make sure the spell checker is switched on in your browser to prevent spelling errors.

Step 4: Review and submit your Application

  • When you are satisfied with your application press the review button to ensure that all required sections of the application have been completed (you must do this before the submit button is enabled).
  • Submit your application.

  Note: Once you have submitted your application no further editing or uploading of supporting documents is possible.

Step 5: What happens next?

  • You will receive an automated email confirming your submission with a copy of your application attached and information about how/when your application will be assessed.  This will be sent to the email you used to register. 

If you do not receive a confirmation email, then your application has not been successfully submitted (don’t forget to check your spam email folder when looking for the email).

  • We will contact you if we require any further information to consider your application.

If you need more help using this form, download the Help Guide for Applicants or check out Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).

If you have any technical difficulties using the online SmartyGrants portal email service@smartygrants.com.au.