Scholarships for Native Hawaiians

Author’s Note: this post was updated in APRIL 2023 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

The scholarships listed below are for persons of Native Hawaiian descent, but live in the continental United States. If you are looking for scholarships that are specifically available to residents of the State of Hawai’i, check out Hawai’i Community Foundation for a list of over 200 scholarships: hawaiicommunityfoundation.org

1. APIA Scholarship Program
2. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Scholarship Program
3. The Ke Ali’i Pauahi Foundation, Scholarships for Public Applicants
4. Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program (NHHSP)
5. Pacific Islander Festival Association (PIFA)
6. The Hawai’i Daughters Guild of California
7. The Ilimanator Scholarship

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1. APIA Scholarship Program

Applications are CLOSED
Closing date: January 19, 2023 at 5:00PM EST

The APIA Scholarship is open to AANHPI undergraduate students attending any U.S. accredited university or college. Scholarship amounts range from $2,500 one-year awards to $20,000 multi-year awards. APIA Scholars has a special focus on supporting AANHPI students who live at or below the poverty line; are in the first generation of their family to attend college; are representative of the APIA community’s diversity, (geographically and ethnically), especially those ethnicities that have been underrepresented on college campuses due to limited access and opportunity. Strong applicants would also have an emphasis on community service and leadership.

Eligibility requirements:

1. Be able to describe your ethnicity, heritage, or ancestry in relation to the countries, territories, or lands in Asia or the Pacific Islands
2. Be a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United States. Citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau are also eligible to apply
3. BBe enrolling or continuing as a degree-seeking undergraduate student in a U.S. accredited college or university in Fall 2023
4. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale (unweighted), or equivalent, or have earned a GED
5. Must apply for federal financial aid for the 2023-2024 academic year using the Free Application for the Federal Student Aid (FASFA) by early April 2023

For more details about APIASF, please visit: apiasf.org

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2. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Scholarship Program

Applications are CLOSED
Closing date: January 19, 2023 AT 5:00PM EST

The Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Scholarship Program provides scholarships ranging from one-time $2,500 awards to multi-year $5,000 awards. APIA Scholars provides scholarships to underserved APIA students with a special focus on those who: Live at or below the poverty level, or are otherwise of low socioeconomic status; Are the first in their families to attend college; Are representative of the APIA community’s diversity, (geographically and ethnically}, especially those ethnicities that have been underrepresented on college campuses due to limited access and opportunity; and Have placed a strong emphasis on community service and leadership as well as solid academic achievement.

Eligibility requirements:

1. Be able to describe your ethnicity, heritage, or ancestry in relation to the countries, territories, or lands in Asia or the Pacific Islands.
2. Be a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United States. Citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau are also eligible to apply.
3. Be enrolled as a full-time student, in an undergraduate degree-seeking program, at one of APIA Scholars AANAPISI Partner Institutions, during the 2023 Fall Semester.
4. Have applied for federal financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2023-2024 academic year, by April 2023. Applicants do not necessarily need to have received federal financial aid to be eligible for a scholarship from APIA Scholars.

Please note the following:

• Full-time enrollment and degree-seeking status is defined by the guidelines set by the institution’s Registrar’s Office.
• Non-degree seeking students are NOT eligible to apply.
• Students who already have a bachelor’s degree are NOT eligible to apply.
• When you apply, you can be a part-time student, however, you must be enrolled full-time upon receipt of funding.
• Solely online students are not eligible to apply. If you are enrolled in online and on ground courses, no more than 1/2 of your courses can be online. *Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are waiving this requirement for the 2023-2024 academic year.

For more details about APIASF, please visit: apiascholars.org/scholarship/aanapisi-scholarship

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3. The Ke Ali’i Pauahi Foundation, Scholarships for Public Applicants

Applications are CLOSED
Closing date: December 2, 2022 at 4:15PM HST

The Ke Ali’i Pauahi Foundation is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to “develop new and diverse sources of income to support the ever-increasing educational needs and goals of people of Hawaiian ancestry.” The Pauahi Foundation administers scholarships that have been created by private donors and awards these scholarships supporting college level areas of study, as well as trade and vocational courses. Many awards may be determined based on merit, while some include specific criteria such as geographic location, field of study, financial need or grade point averages.

There are 140 scholarships available for the following academic year and may not cover the full cost of education. Before proceeding, please read Available Pauahi Foundation Scholarships.

Eligibility requirements:

1. Be a classified, degree-seeking student
2. Be attending an institution in Hawai`i or the continental U.S.
3. Be attending school as a full-time student unless specifically noted in the Scholarship Listing
4. Be attending a two- or four-year accredited* institution

For more information on the Ke Ali’i Pauahi Foundation and its scholarships, please visit: ksbe.edu

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4. Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program (NHHSP)

Applications are CLOSED
Closing date: March 15, 2023

The Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program (NHHSP) is a federally funded, scholar-centered, support service-oriented scholarship program for Native Hawaiian college students interested in serving their Native Hawaiian community as primary health care professionals.

Their scholarships provide: full tuition, a monthly stipend, and other related school costs (books, lab materials, etc) as defined by your school’s financial aid office. As a Federal service scholarship, students who receive funding are obligated to perform one (1) year for each year awarded paid service/employment in a medically underserved area within the State of Hawai`i immediately after graduation/licensure.

Eligibility requirements:

1. Be of Native Hawaiian ancestry (verified by birth certificate)
2. Be a full-time student enrolled in an accredited institution
3. Be pursuing one of the eligible professions listed above
4. Be willing to relocate anywhere within the state of Hawai`i to fulfill your service obligation

For more information on the The Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program (NHHSP), please visit: papaolalokahi.org/native-hawaiian-programs/scholarship-program

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5. Pacific Islander Festival Association

Applications are CLOSED
Closing date: April 21, 2023

The primary purposes and objectives of the Pacific Islander Festival Association are to promote charitable and educational projects for the benefit of everyone, to provide educational and cultural resources to everyone, and to actively participate in the promotion and perpetuation of the traditional cultures, ancient historical data, languages, attitudes and values of the Indigenous People of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.

Applicants will be scored using a 5-point rubric created by the PIFA Scholarship Committee for evaluation. Please examine each category carefully when submitting your application:

1. College Academics
2. Community Service
3. Participation in Promoting Culture
4. Potential Goals to Contribute to Community of Pacific Islanders
5. Letters of Recommendation

For more information on the Pacific Islander Festival Association and its scholarships, please visit: pifasandiego.com/scholarships

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6. The Hawai’i Daughters Guild of California

Applications are CLOSED
Closing date: March 15, 2023

Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis. Consideration is given to scholastic achievements, extra-curricular activities, community service, financial need, background, and career goals. These topics should be covered in a required autobiographical essay.

Eligibility requirements:

1. Female of Polynesian ancestry
2. California resident
3. Minimum 3.0 GPA

In addition, scholarship recipient must meet one of the following criteria:

• Enroll as a full-time student, as defined by the academic institution, at an accredited college/university in the academic year following high school graduation
• Enroll as a full-time student in the academic year immediately following scholarship award
• Continuing full-time undergraduate student
• Enrolled as a full-time graduate student in the academic year immediately following bachelor’s degree program

In addition to the requirements listed above (and a few unlisted) a personal interview is also a part of the consideration process. For more information, please visit: hawaiidaughtersguild.webs.com/scholarships.htm

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7. The Ilimanator Scholarship

Applications are OPEN
Closing date: May 15, 2023 at 11:59pm

Initiated by Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Bellator MMA World Flyweight Champion Fighter, “The Ilimanator” Scholarship provides Native American and Native Hawaiian adolescent female youth (ages 12-19) with an opportunity to access world-class indigenous education enrichment programs. Scholarship Recipient will be chosen by Ilima-Lei “The Ilimanator” Lei-Macfarlane and InterTribal Youth Ilimanator Scholarship Selection Committee.

Eligibility requirements:

1. Ages: 14-21 years old. Other ages may apply, priority given to ages 14-21
2. Represents First Nations or indigenous peoples
3. International applicants eligible
4. Completed application by mid May deadline

In addition, scholarship candidates must submit the following:

• Have a form of identification with your name and birthdate on it ready to upload in JPEG format for this form.
• Know the annual income of your household and finance-related questions.
• Be ready to answer thought-provoking and deep-digging questions about yourself.
• Two letters of recommendation from (1) teacher, mentor or community leader and (2) friend or relative (emailed to nawahinetoafoundation@gmail.com).
• Create a video, essay, song, dance, poem, or creative art piece expressing yourself as an individual and anything you’d like us to know about you (uploaded to this form or emailed to nawahinetoafoundation@gmail.com).

For more information on the Ilima-Lei “The Ilimanator” Macfarlane Scholarship, please visit: ilimanator.com/scholarship

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General Information

Scholarships for college and university students can come from a range of sources – federal, state, colleges and universities, professional organizations, and private endowments. To receive that FREE money, you’ll need to follow a few steps:

1. Fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov. Once your FAFSA has been processed, you’ll receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) which shows your financial aid package. This will give you a good idea of the federal funding options you may qualify for.
2. Register with the Kamehameha Schools’ Ho`oulu Hawaiian Data Center (HHDC) to verify your Hawaiian ancestry.
3. Search through the scholarships listed! Typically, you must meet certain criteria (be of Native Hawaiian ancestry verified by birth certificate and/or HHDC, be enrolled in an accredited institution, etc.), but be sure to research each program’s specific requirements to ensure that you qualify.

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