Aspire Scholarship 2017 Private secondary schools scholarship Supporting information

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1 Aspire Scholarship 2017 Private secondary schools scholarship Supporting information This document provides you with additional information and frequently asked questions.

2 Aspire Scholarship 2017 Private Secondary Schools Scholarship Further Information What is this scholarship? The Aspire Scholarship has been designed for students from low income families who would like to attend a New Zealand private secondary school. The scholarship contributes up to $15,000 per year for private secondary school fees and up to $1,500 per year for course related costs. Who is eligible? A student is eligible for a 2017 Aspire Scholarship if: they will be in year 9 in 2017 their primary caregiver(s) have a joint annual gross income of $56,000 or less (not including Working for Families tax credits) their primary caregiver(s) have a combined net worth of $200,000 or less (not including household items) they, or their primary caregiver(s), are not beneficiaries of any trusts (exceptions will be made on a case by case basis) they are a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident of New Zealand an application is received in hard copy at the Ministry of Education National Office by 5pm on Friday, 13 May What does it cover? An Aspire Scholarship will contribute up to $15,000 per year for tuition fees, and up to $1,500 per year for course related costs, for the duration of a student s attendance at their chosen private school 1. Tuition fees include term fees, enrolment fees, application fees, and any other compulsory attendance fee that is directly related to a student s tuition. It is the responsibility of the parents/caregivers to pay for any remaining school fees over and above the contribution from the Aspire Fund. Course related costs are any additional school items or costs related to the student s schooling. The scholarship does not cover boarding fees. If a student chooses to board at a private boarding school, families may use their $1,500 course related costs allowance towards the costs of boarding, but are otherwise responsible for any boarding costs. The scholarship can only be used at New Zealand s fully registered private secondary schools (also known as independent schools). It cannot be used at state, state-integrated schools or partnership schools (Kura hourua). Please refer to the New Zealand Private Schools list, included on the Application Form, for the list of schools that are compatible with the Aspire Scholarship. If a school is not on the list, you can not enrol there with an Aspire Scholarship. 1 Duration of the students attendance is regarded as Year 9 to Year 13. (Maximum of five years) Aspire Scholarship 2017 Private Secondary Schools Scholarship Page 2 of 6

3 Selection process Applicants will be balloted for the 2017 Aspire Scholarships, and drawn at random. Only applicants who meet the eligibility criteria will be included in the ballot. Academic achievement and personal qualities are not relevant for this scholarship, and will not affect an applicant s chance of receiving a scholarship. All applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application by letter. Successful scholarship recipients Successful Aspire Scholarship recipients are fully responsible for enrolling at a private school, and are not guaranteed enrolment at any private school by the Ministry of Education. Private schools have their own enrolment processes and conditions, and recipients must abide by these. After scholarship recipients are notified by the Ministry, they will be given approximately four weeks to confirm an enrolment at a private school. Applicants are encouraged to make contact with private schools before they are notified of the outcome of their application so they are well prepared if their application is successful. Contact details for each private school can be found on the New Zealand private schools list, included on the application form. You can also find information about some private schools at Ongoing support An Aspire Scholarship holder may keep their scholarship for the duration of five years (Year 9 Year 13) while attending a private school. Support will be terminated if the student leaves school or transfers to a state or state-integrated school. If the student transitions directly to another private school, they will be able to keep their Aspire Scholarship if the family takes responsibility for any additional fees involved in the transition. Families leaving a private school should be aware that some schools may charge a penalty fee if insufficient notice is given. These fees are the responsibility of the family. Application process To apply for the Aspire Scholarship, an application form must be filled out for the student, and received in hard copy at the Ministry of Education National Office by 5pm on Friday, 13 May Please refer to the 2017 Aspire application form and guidelines for additional help with the questions in the application form. Enquiries If you have any further enquiries, please get in touch: aspire.scholarship@education.govt.nz Phone (04) Aspire Scholarship 2017 Private Secondary Schools Scholarship Page 3 of 6

4 Aspire Scholarship 2017 Private Secondary Schools Scholarship Frequently asked questions If a student enrols at a private school with an Aspire Scholarship, will they receive the $15,000 towards their fees every year? Yes, the Ministry of Education pays up to $15,000 per year, if they remain enrolled at a private school. Please note that it is the responsibility of the parents/caregivers to pay for any remaining school fees over and above the contribution from the Aspire Fund. The duration of an Aspire scholarship is 5 years (Yr 9 to Yr 13). What is the duration of an Aspire Scholarship? The duration of an Aspire Scholarship is five years. (Years 9 Year 13). The Ministry may in extenuating circumstances or on a case by case basis consider extending ongoing support for an Aspire Scholar. What happens if an Aspire student leaves the private school they originally enrolled at with the Aspire scholarship? The scholarship will be terminated, unless they transition directly to another private school, and the family takes responsibility for any additional fees involved in the transition such as penalty fees. The family must inform the Ministry if an Aspire scholar is transferring schools. What if a student wins a scholarship but can t find a suitable private school? Their scholarship will be terminated. Can a student apply if they are already at a private school? Yes. Why can t the Aspire Scholarship be used at state-integrated schools? Because the funding for Aspire Scholarships comes from the annual Government subsidy allocated to private schools. Private schools and state-integrated schools receive different types of funding from the Government because they are managed and funded differently. Why can t the Aspire Scholarship be used at primary private schools? Because there is not currently enough Government funding available to extend the Aspire Scholarships to primary school level. If primary schools were included, this would severely reduce the total number of secondary scholarships available. Do I have to include my Working for Families tax credits as income? No. Aspire Scholarship 2017 Private Secondary Schools Scholarship Page 4 of 6

5 Is there any flexibility in the Aspire income threshold for families with twins or a high number of children? Yes - by not including Working for Families tax credits. Families with more children are now not disadvantaged for receiving more Working for Families tax credits than families with fewer children. Can the Aspire Scholarship be used for boarding and/or travel fees? Only partially: the course related costs component of the scholarship ($1,500 per year) can be used towards boarding and/or travel costs. However, the body of the scholarship ($15,000 per year) can only be used for tuition fees. Families can seek additional assistance for boarding fees elsewhere. Avenues could include: The Ministry of Education Boarding Allowance: contact your local Ministry office for more information. Scholarships available from within private schools: make enquiries with individual schools to find out if they have any on offer. Why can t the body of the scholarship be used for boarding fees? Because the Aspire programme is designed to provide families with greater choice in schooling options by contributing financial assistance for tuition fees. The policy intent would be infringed if any of the tuition allowance is used for living costs. If the policy intent of Aspire is altered to include living costs, many Aspire students would still not benefit because tuition fees are at or above $15,000 per year at many New Zealand private schools. If the scholarship value was increased to address this issue, the number of available Aspire Scholarships would be reduced because the Government funding that has been allocated for Aspire is fixed. Can a recipient of the Aspire Scholarship also receive other scholarships or financial assistance from other sources? Yes. However, if the source comes from a trust, this will need to be declared. I don t quite meet the criteria but we are a low income family. Can you make any exceptions for special circumstances? No. The thresholds are fixed so no exceptions can be made for families that do not meet the set eligibility criteria. What is net worth? Net worth is the value of your assets (property, vehicles etc.) minus your liabilities/debt (mortgage, personal loans etc.). Aspire Scholarship 2017 Private Secondary Schools Scholarship Page 5 of 6

6 What do you mean by household items in the net worth section? For the purposes of the Aspire Scholarship, the value of all household items (kitchen appliances, furniture, ornaments etc.) and any amount owing on them, are not to be included in the value of an applicant s net worth. Will an Aspire family be required to submit a summary of earnings each year while their child holds the scholarship? No, but the Ministry may audit applications at random, or if there is any reason to suggest information in an application is inaccurate. If a student and/or their primary caregiver(s) are beneficiaries of a trust, under what circumstances are they still considered eligible for Aspire? There are a broad and complex range of trust types, and different ways one can benefit from one. If any trust beneficiaries believe they still fit the Aspire financial criteria and wish to apply for the Aspire Scholarship, they must make a case for their inclusion in the Aspire selection ballot. To do this, full details about the trust(s) and any associated income and assets must be provided. Trust beneficiary cases will only be accepted if it is considered by the Ministry of Education that enough information has been provided that demonstrates that the student meets the Aspire financial criteria when including income and assets from associated trusts. Key factors that will be assessed will include income currently received from trusts and income and/or assets that that may be received from trusts in the future. Aspire Scholarship 2017 Private Secondary Schools Scholarship Page 6 of 6