Student Support Fund

AUT Foundation has set up the Student Support Fund as a way for our generous community to easily support our students.

Students are experiencing financial pressures

Every year more than 2,000 students seek financial support through AUT’s Student Hubs. Many are struggling to cover the basic necessities of somewhere safe to live, food and transport. Due to the cost-of-living increases and the continued impact of COVID-19 on the ability for students to support their study through work, AUT has seen a significant increase in requests for financial assistance to pay for basic living costs. Recent weather events and flood damage have also resulted in additional financial pressures with students struggling to find affordable housing. Unfortunately, student needs are now far exceeding the money available to support them.

The types of financial assistance can include:

  • Direct bill payments to accommodation, utility, healthcare and childcare providers
  • Food and travel vouchers
  • Laptop loans and data packages
  • Scholarships for accommodation
  • Food parcels, free all-day breakfast bar, free campus lunches, and access to period products through the AUT Student Association’s Tautoko and Waiwhero programmes

Student Hub staff see a diverse range of students and are trained in both cultural and social circumstances to guide students to share their stories and needs to reduce shame or stigma. Tailored and culturally centred support is offered for students who are Māori, Pacific, rainbow, have a refugee background or a disability, or are first in family learners.

Give a one-off donation

You can give as a one-off (or annual) donation using the form below or, if you are AUT staff, you can become a regular giver through payroll giving.

AUT Foundation is a charitable entity and we issue tax receipts for each gift. Gifts of money by New Zealand resident taxpayers to a charity receive a 33.33% donations tax credit (up to a limit of total net taxable income for all gifts combined in a given tax year).

Donate now

Contact the AUT Foundation

For details about how this fund is managed or any other questions:

Email: foundation@aut.ac.nz

AUT staff: how to give via payroll giving

A small gift each fortnight out of your salary can make a significant difference in the lives of our students.

You will receive an immediate tax relief of 33.3% on donations of $5 or more. This means a donation of $10 will cost you $6.67 and you do not need to make an annual claim at the end of the tax year.

Sign up for payroll giving (Service Now)