Kathryn Fraser Scholarship

The Kathryn Fraser Scholarship honours the legacy of Kathryn Fraser, a much-loved Ara colleague who tragically passed away as the result of an accident on her way to Ara in 2023. Kathryn touched many people's lives while she worked at Ara, assisting both colleagues and learners throughout the institute and the Ara community. This scholarship aims to promote equity in education and help eliminate barriers to accessing tertiary education for students facing various challenges. The scholarship specifically targets students who can demonstrate how their experiences with challenges—including financial difficulties, ethnicity, learning difficulties, or other barriers—impact their ability to achieve their educational goals. $10,000 annually will be split between four domestic or international learners ($2500 per student) for three years from 2025 to 2028. Students enrolled full-time or part-time in Level 3 or above programmes at any Ara campus in Christchurch, Timaru, Ashburton, or Oamaru are eligible to apply. Part-time learners receive a proportion of the $2500 equal to the level of their part-time enrolment. Applicants must submit an application form, a personal statement (no more than one page) outlining what led them to their chosen area of study, the impacts of equity challenges they face, and their post-study goals, as well as two character references.