Taupō and Tūrangi students urged to apply for $100,000 scholarship fund

Taupō's Nikita Van Dijk was one of three local recipients of BayTrust's $100,000 Dillon Scholarship this year. Photo / Supplied

Applications are open for BayTrust's $100,000 Dillon Scholarship fund, which can help Taupō and Tūrangi students with significant physical or intellectual disabilities pursue tertiary study in 2022.

Taupō's Nikita Van Dijk was one of three local recipients this year and is using her scholarship to pay for medication, a St John membership, and travel costs to get to Waikato University's Hamilton campus and medical appointments in Auckland.

"My medication costs $50 or $60 every fortnight which sounds cheap for some people, but as a student, it's a lot of money," she says.

"My Dillon Scholarship allows me to focus on my study and not worry so much about how I'm going to pay for prescriptions or ambulance call-out fees."

Nikita is in a wheelchair, having suffered hundreds of severe joint dislocations since she was 10 years old. An operation in her teens also caused nerve damage in one leg, leaving her in chronic pain and unable to walk.

The unique annual scholarship fund has awarded a total of $1.93 million to more than 500 Bay of Plenty students since it first began in 1990 and is the only one of its kind in New Zealand.

It is designed to level the playing field as students with disabilities often face additional study costs compared to their able-bodied peers. It also allows recipients to concentrate on studying rather than having to work part-time or worrying about how to make ends meet, and helps pay for things like medical bills, learning aides, special equipment, and transport.

There is no age restriction and those eligible may receive up to $5000 per year for a maximum of five years to help them obtain tertiary qualifications.

Nikita received a $1250 Dillon Scholarship this year and is studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in psychology and anthropology.

In July she established the University of Waikato Disabled Students Association to give her disabled peers a collective voice and help them access the support they need.

"If it wasn't for the Dillon Scholarship, I wouldn't have had time to do that. I would have spent my time focusing on how do I afford meds? How do I afford travel? It's hard to take on part-time work when you're wheelchair-bound."

The 21 year-old plans to complete a Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychology and then work with people in chronic pain.

"I want to help counsel families too because they don't always understand the stress that an individual is going through with chronic pain because it's invisible."

BayTrust CEO Alastair Rhodes says Nikita's story is an inspirational reminder of why eligible Taupō students should apply for the Dillon scholarship if they need extra support.

"Our first scholarships in 1990 awarded a total of $1800. We're now approaching the $2 million mark and it's always inspiring to hear the aspirations of students with significant disabilities. The challenges they have to overcome just to get to class each day are incredible and BayTrust is fortunate to be able to support them in this way."

Dillon Scholarship funds can help pay for any costs reasonably associated with tertiary study and can include course fees, books, computers and living costs.

BayTrust will consider applications from students whose home base is within the Bay of Plenty, and who are applying to study at university, polytechnic or other New Zealand-based institutions in a course recognised by NZQA or equivalent.

Applications opened on Monday November and will close on January 14 for the 2022 academic year.

Bay of Plenty students who have a medically-recognised significant disability can apply online by visiting www.baytrust.org.nz/dillon-scholarship or phoning BayTrust on 0800 654 546.