Some Otago secondary-school pupils opened their letter boxes yesterday to find they had won scholarships after sitting examinations last year.
Of the 121 awarded in Otago, 11 were outstanding scholarships.
Almost 9000 pupils across the country sat the scholarship exams and 2038 will receive a total of more than $3.2 million over the next three years.
Payments ranged from a one-off payment of $500 for a single subject exam pass to $30,000 over three years for premier award winners.
This year, 10 pupils received the premier award, which is restricted to the top five-to-ten pupils in the country.
A further 47 pupils received the outstanding scholar award, worth $5000 a year for three years as long as candidates maintained at least a B grade average in tertiary study in New Zealand.
Thirty-five pupils achieved scholarships in five or more subjects. Details of individual premier and top scholar awards will be released at a ceremony in May.
