Annah Cherry outside Hawke’s Bay hospital where she starts work in January as a graduate junior nurse. Having an EIT Year 13 scholarship helped Annah keep her loan down.
Annah Cherry starts work as a graduate junior nurse in the acute medical ward – A1 renal and respiratory at the Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ War Memorial Hospital in January.
It’s a dream come true for the EIT Bachelor of Nursing graduate who visited the Hawke’s Bay campus in 2015 as a Year 13 and “fell in love” with what was on offer.
Now she has been accepted by the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board as one of few into the year-long nurse entry to practice (NETP) programme that will see her transition to a registered nurse.
Securing an EIT Year 13 degree scholarship that covered her first year of fees has helped Annah on her way.
”It was amazing,” Annah says. “I don’t think people realise how significant a student loan is until they have one. My loan is way less than my friends who have studied out of Hawke’s Bay.
“Once I start work I’ll be focused on paying off my small loan fast so I can start saving for a house.”
The number of Year 13 students applying for the Year 13 scholarship for degree study is growing year on year. Already 138 students from Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne secondary schools have applied for 2019, up from 125 in 2018.
The scholarship, which funds up to $7000 in fees, was introduced in 2004 to encourage students to stay in Hawke’s Bay while still participating in high quality tertiary education but with less financial burden.
Now that the Labour Government offers fees free study options, the Year 13 scholarship can apply to a subsequent year of study, essentially providing EIT degree students with two years of free course fees.
“We have many first in family students taking advantage of the scholarship,” says Samantha Potts, EIT liaison advisor who works closely with secondary schools.
“While degree study may appeal, many are hesitant because of the worry of financial burden of study, and of study outside the region. The scholarship helps overcome some of that reluctance.”
In 2019, nursing and primary teaching degrees have appealed to Year 13s with strong numbers enrolled. Viticulture and wine degrees have grown in number, while interest in business and computing degrees have remained steady.