The University of Hawaii is asking the 2024 State Legislature to add $19 million a year to its budget to expand its scholarship program to UH Manoa, UH Hilo and UH West Oahu, according to a UH news release. Currently, the program, known as Hawaii Promise, only serves students at UH’s seven community colleges.  

What You Need To Know

  • Students do not apply for the scholarship, instead the scholarship is granted to students who qualified for federal financial aid after completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

  • About $3.8 million was awarded to 1,774 students at UH’s community colleges in fiscal year 2023

  • UH spokesperson Dan Meisenzahl said the large increase in requested funds was related to the larger cost of education at the three UH universities in comparison to the seven community colleges

  • The scholarship program, started in 2017, has served 8,643 UH students so far

Students do not apply for the scholarship, instead the scholarship is granted to students who qualified for federal financial aid after completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The scholarship is meant to help cover financial needs not met by other forms of financial aid. 

According to a 2023 report to the Hawaii State Legislature, about $3.8 million was awarded to 1,774 students at UH’s community colleges in fiscal year 2023. The average scholarship award was $2,142 per student. These funds cover tuition, books and fees. 

When Spectrum News Hawaii asked UH about the large increase in requested funds, UH spokesperson Dan Meisenzahl said via email: “Though in-state tuition is very affordable at the three UH universities at $9,000 to $11,000 a year, it is more expensive than community college tuition, which is about $3,000.”

He said the $19 million request was a “good estimate” made by UH’s financial aid office based on how much students who qualify for federal aid are eligible for and how much more money they need to cover the full cost of education.

Hawaii Promise, started in 2017, has served 8,643 UH students with a proven financial need.

Students who receive the scholarship money earn more credits (reducing time to degree and increasing likelihood of degree completion), have higher passing rates (3.0 grade point average or better) and are more likely to stay enrolled (69% vs 65%) when compared with non-Hawaii Promise UH students, according to the 2023 report. 

Sixty percent of recipients are Native Hawaiian, Filipino or from other ethnic groups underrepresented in higher education. Eighty-four percent of the scholarship recipients would not have been able to enroll at UH without Hawaii Promise, according to the university. 

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