L W Nelson Agriculture Scholarship 2026

L W NELSON TRUST AGRICULTURAL SCHOLARSHIP 2026

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 LW Nelson Agricultural Scholarship was established in 1958 by Northland farmer and businessman Laurence William Nelson. The LW Nelson Agricultural Scholarship is managed and administered by Public Trust in line with the terms of the Trust’s founding documents and pursuant to the relevant New Zealand legislation.

This Scholarship is offered to students who are intending to advance their education in agriculture from 2027 with an appropriate tertiary provider in New Zealand, with a desire to take up a career in the agricultural industry. The course of study at the chosen agricultural institution must be for a minimum period of one year.

Applications are open to students attending the schools listed below and who meet the criteria and conditions:

• Whangarei Boys’ High School
• Kamo High School
• Tikipunga High School
• Pompallier College
• Whangarei Girls’ High school 
• Huanui College
• Excellere College

Eligibility:

• Applicants must currently attend one of the schools listed above.
• Applications must be from individuals only and the scholarships will only be awarded to suitable applicants.
• Applicants are intending to advance their education at an appropriate tertiary provider such as, but not limited to a University, Polytechnic, and or Training School and ultimately with a goal to take up a career in the agriculture industry.
• The course of study must be for a minimum of one year relating to the agriculture/farming industry.

The successful applicant will receive a sum of up to $4,000 commencing from and including study year 2027. Payment will be made at the beginning of the year on confirmation of enrolment at the education provider in a course of study as outlined in the application.

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.). In most instances, payment will be made directly to the education provider on proof/confirmation of enrolment. If you require part of the payment for study related purchases, this will need to be itemised and clearly shown in your application.

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

Complete the application form via the Public Trust’s online granting system ‘SmartyGrants’. 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 and supporting documents. You can save the form as you go and log back in at any time to complete and submit your application.

Scholarship Terms and Conditions

• Decisions regarding scholarships are made based on the information provided in the application, supporting material and from other enquiries (if applicable). The decision of the L W Nelson Board of Trustees will be final, no correspondence will be entered into.
• Payment of the scholarship is subject to confirmation of enrolment / attendance during each term.
• If a scholarship is awarded for more than 1 year, the applicant will be required to re-apply annually for continuation of the Scholarship. This will be communicated to the applicant when the Scholarship is awarded.
• 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 Trustee reserves the right to withhold the payment of any amounts due under the scholarship in the event of the misconduct of any person holding the scholarship.
• The criteria and conditions of the Scholarships may be changed from time to time as the Board sees fit.

Important dates

• Applications are open from 9am on 6 July to 5pm on 21 August 2026.

• Applicants are formally notified of the outcome by early November 2026 at the latest.

   

Late applications will not be accepted.

Contact us: Any questions should be directed to Public Trust Charities Team by email to funding@publictrust.co.nz.

Step 1: Determine eligibility

• Please ensure you have read this Scholarship’s eligibility criteria.
• If you are unsure whether you are eligible to apply please contact us at funding@publictrust.co.nz.

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 use.

• 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