The Hillary Step Scholarship helps rangatahi overcome financial barriers and enhance their lives through outdoor adventure experiences.
ABOUT THE HILLARY STEP SCHOLARSHIP
Named after the almost vertical 12-metre cliff face that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay scaled in reaching the summit of Mt. Everest in 1953, the Hillary Step was the final and arguably the most challenging obstacle the climbers faced. It is said to have pushed Sir Ed to his mental and physical limits.
Today, the Hillary Step Scholarship has been created to help rangatahi overcome financial barriers and enhance their lives through outdoor adventure experiences.
HOW HILLARY STEP SCHOLARSHIPS ARE FUNDED
Our amazing community of Funders, including Trusts, Foundations, Organisations and Individuals, contribute to the Hillary Step Scholarship (HSS) programme by providing grants and donations.
Any funding received from these incredible groups and people is directly distributed to schools, groups, organisations and individuals who demonstrate the need for financial support to overcome barriers for them to attend Hillary Outdoors.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A HILLARY STEP SCHOLARSHIP
Before you start
When applying for a Hillary Step Scholarship, it is important to be honest and to request only the amount you need. Thousands of rangatahi apply each year, and every dollar you don’t ask for is a dollar that can go to someone who needs it just as much as you do.
1
Sign up for a camp
Sign up for your chosen Hillary Holiday Camp. This needs to be done before applying for funding.
2
Apply for funding
Complete and submit the online funding application form. To share your story with our funders and encourage them to support you, you can upload a photo or video to your application.
3
We review your application
Our team will review your application against our funding criteria. If your application meets the funding criteria, we will allocate any readily available funding.
4
Your funding outcome
We will notify you of the funding outcome. If successful, Hillary Step Scholarship funding will be allocated to your final invoice.
5
Impact report
All recipients of a Hillary Step Scholarship are required to complete an impact report at the end of their camp, including photos and/or videos and a thank-you letter to their HSS Funder. To be completed within 6 weeks of the end of camp.
OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Many past participants conduct their own fundraising endeavours to help cover the cost of their camp. Some great ideas we have seen are:
- The good old sausage sizzle
- Cake/Bake stall at local market
- Local car wash
- Odd jobs in the community: lawn mowing/weeding/gardening
- Create a raffle with donated prizes from the community
- Talk to your local Lions or Rotary Club – some clubs sponsor camp participants
- Talk to local businesses for sponsorship
Frequently Asked Questions
You can apply for funding to help cover your camp cost. Funding does not cover the GST portion of the cost or travel expenses.
We strive to fulfil all Hillary Step Scholarship applications in full. We are sometimes unable to do so due to the amount of funding we have available at the time and any funding conditions we must adhere to. The funding we have available is generously donated to or granted to us by our Funders. We may partially approve or decline your application.
We encourage you to apply for a Hillary Step Scholarship immediately after booking your camp. The more lead time we have, the better. You must have a confirmed booking with us to be eligible for a Hillary Step Scholarship.
We aim to provide funding outcomes within a month of applying. From time to time, this is not possible because we are awaiting outcomes from our Funders.
No, we cannot pay scholarships retrospectively.
