Students get funding boost

Last week, scholarships were presented to 120 agricultural and horticultural students at a presentation evening at Massey University in Palmerston North. Horticultural companies such as Zespri, Horticulture NZ and Fruit Fed supplies were the main ones offering horticultural scholarships.

Both undergraduate and postgraduate students received funding from a range of sources to help them continue their studies.

This was helped by a new scholarship funded by the will of Noeleen Olson and invested with the Massey Foundation. She was a teacher at Roslyn School in Palmerston North for 28 years and was an enthusiastic member of the local horticulture society.

A total of $40,000 of scholarships, funded by Miss Olson, was presented to students.

Agricultural students were also well funded on the night, with sponsoring companies present including FMG, Agcarm, Norwood and Ravensdown. Students interested in environmental issues within agriculture were funded by organisations such as Horizons Regional Council and the QEII Trust.

Many agricultural and horticultural students receive grants from charitable trusts and presentations were made to students receiving funding from the Ann Sinclair Charitable Trust, the Harwood Farm Trust, the Sydney Campbell Turst and the C Alma Baker Trust.

The Lord Bledisloe Prize, presented each year to the student who has the best grades after two years of study at Massey University in agriculture, horticulture or agribusiness was awarded to Hope Mauchline from Wanganui.