Financial aid

Frequently asked questions

There are over 150 scholarship funds available to the public this year, with each fund varying in criteria and the number of awards distributed. Please download and review our Scholarships Listing.

No, not necessarily. A majority of our scholarships we offer are not restricted to Hawai‘i residents, however, there are scholarships that do require applicants to be Hawai‘i residents or require you to attend a college/university in Hawai‘i. Please download and review our Scholarships listing.

Applications are open to the general public, however, it is the policy of the Pauahi Foundation to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law. Please refer to the Ho‘oulu Verification Services.

Yes, there is and you may want to consider applying for both.

Pauahi Foundation scholarships are funded by private donors and are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or donor specified criteria. Kamehameha Schools’ college scholarships are funded annually by the Kamehameha endowment through the Kamehameha budgeting process, which is separate from the Foundation’s funds.

Please see the Kamehameha Schools college scholarship page for more information on their application process and requirements.

It depends upon which scholarship you received.

The Foundation has several scholarships designated as “multi-year” scholarships in which you will receive funding for designated years provided you comply with requirements on an annual basis.

Other scholarships, which do not have the “multi-year” designation, are funds that do require an annual application submission.

Yes, as long as you fulfill the eligibility requirements for all scholarships you apply for.

Full-time enrollment is generally defined as: 12 credit hours per term for undergraduates, or 9 credit hours per term for graduate and professional students; or the minimum number of credit hours as specified by your chosen degree program.

Half-time enrollment is generally defined as: 11 or fewer credit hours per term for undergraduates, or 8 or fewer credit hours per term for graduate and professional students; or less than the minimum number of credit hours as specified by your chosen degree program.

NOTE: While a majority of our fund selection requires full-time enrollment, please note that we have a growing number of funds that will consider half-time enrollment. Please check the Scholarships Listing for details.

Be sure that the email address you provide when registering is an email that you frequently check. If you do not receive an email from “scholarships@pauahi.org,” in your email inbox, please check your spam or junk folder.

You should also add Pauahi Foundation as a contact to avoid missing future emails from us as we frequently send important messages via email during the application window.

Please contact us at: scholarships@pauahi.org or (808) 534-8080 if you do not receive our email within 2-3 hours after registering.

Your username is typically the email address you registered with. If you’ve forgotten your password, please click on the “Forgot your password?” link on the Log-In page.

Yes. If you have previously applied for a scholarship with Pauahi Foundation, please register for a new user profile as your username and passphrase credentials from prior years have expired.

Yes. Our online application portal has a security feature that causes the application to time out after 20 minutes of inactivity. We highly recommend that you review our scholarships listing and prepare your personal statements and essays ahead of time and copy/paste them into your application.

You may “save & continue” your application anytime before submission, but once you submit your application, you will be unable to return to make changes.

First, check that your institution is accredited by an organization recognized by KS. If your institution is accredited by one of the seven accrediting agencies listed, click on “Other” and type in your institution in the text box provided and include the institution’s location (city, state).

No. Once your online application is submitted, you can not make any changes. Requests for changes must be submitted to scholarships@pauahi.org before the program deadline (please include your KAPF ID number in your email).

First, ensure that the document you are uploading is a PDF or JPG/JPEG file that does not exceed 5 MB.

Otherwise, a Pauahi Foundation scholarship team member has reviewed your document submission and has deemed it insufficient is requesting another document be submitted.

Log back into the online application portal, then click on Required Documents > Upload Document (or) Check Document Status for more information or to submit the correct document.

After completing and submitting your online application, an Application Confirmation screen will be displayed. Your KAPF ID will be listed and will be a five-digit number (ex. KAPF12345).

You can also review your submitted application from your Dashboard; your KAPFID number will be listed under “Confirmation Number” at the top of the screen.

Please include your KAPF ID number when submitting art portfolio and/or communication with Pauahi Foundation staff.

Applicants may obtain their most recent school transcript by contacting their school’s registrar’s office, or if applicable downloaded via their school’s online portal.

School transcripts can be issued directly to the student (unofficial, sealed envelope not required) or issued directly to Pauahi Foundation (official, sealed envelope required or emailed as a secured PDF by a third-party processor).

School transcripts MUST display the following:

Student’s legal first & last name and (if applicable) degree program information
Name of school or school logo* and school contact information
Course information (course names, dates taken)
Grades and weight of each grade and/or credits earned for completed terms through Spring 2024
Total and/or Calculated cumulative GPA of all courses completed through Spring 2024

*Transcript may include other distinct school markings such as: embossments, seals, watermarks, designated school official’s signature.

Note: We recommend that you obtain your most recent school transcript as you complete your Pauahi Foundation application. You will be able to upload your copy via our portal once you submit your application.

If you are:	Transcript must show:
A current high school senior	Final grade information and GPA (total and/or cumulative) for the first 6 semesters of completed high school work. In other words: your final GPAs (total and/or cumulative) for your Freshman, Sophomore & Junior years.
Current 1st year college undergraduate, OR Not-a-recent high school graduate OR Have never attended college	Final grade information and GPA for completed high school work (Grades 9 through 12).
A current college student (2nd, 3rd, or 4th year undergraduate student or current graduate student)	Final grade information and GPA (total and/or cumulative) for each completed college term. In other words: your final GPAs (total and/or cumulative) for all completed terms through Spring 2024.
A college student matriculating to a higher degree program OR Current college student transferring to a new institution	Final grade information and GPA for most recent completed college term.

Please allow sufficient time for delivery. Documents received after our program deadline will not be accepted.

Delivery method	Instructions
Document upload via online application portal (Recommended)	Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded via our online portal (sealed envelope not necessary). Ensure that complete grade information is included and you scan and upload all pages of the transcript. Document text must be clear and legible. Once you have completed and submitted your Pauahi Foundation online application: Go to Applicant Dashboard > Required Documents > Upload Document On the line item marked “School Transcript,” click “Choose File,” locate your transcript, then “Upload” Only PDF and JPG/JPEG files, no more than 5 MB are accepted. Allow 3 business days for processing before checking on the status
Secured email via third-party processor (Recommended)	Applicable for some colleges/universities. Your official transcript can be sent directly from third-party processors such as eTranscripts, e-Scrip Safe, National Student Clearinghouse, Transcript Link, Parchment, Transcript Network, etc. and are made available as a secured, password protected downloadable PDF file. Please instruct your school to email directly to: Pauahi Foundation, scholarships@pauahi.org
U.S. Postal Service	Official transcript must be in the school’s sealed/unopened envelope. Our mailing address: Pauahi Foundation — Scholarships 567 S. King St. Honolulu, HI 96813
In-person or drop-off (O‘ahu only)	Official transcript must be in the school’s sealed/unopened envelope. Visit any of our KS Resource Center locations on O‘ahu.

You may upload an unofficial transcript via our online application portal. A sealed envelope is not needed if you choose this delivery method.

Our Pauahi Foundation scholarships team has reviewed your submitted document and has determined that it is either incomplete (missing complete grade information) or the document is illegible or incorrect.

Please review our questions and answers in this school transcript section and submit the corrected document before our program deadline.

No. Request for LORs and receipt of LORs must be completed via our online application portal only. Letters received by email or mail will not be accepted.

Log in to the online application portal. Then, go to: Applicant Dashboard > Step 2: Letters of Recommendation > Request LORs.
Enter the first and last name of your advocate.
Choose your advocate’s referral type (Educator, Employer or Community Leader)
Enter your advocate’s email address.
Click “Request LOR”

Your advocate will receive an email from scholarships@pauahi.org which will include instructions on how they can submit their letter of recommendation to us online.

We highly recommend that you notify your advocate first about your request and advise them to check their inbox, spam or junk folder for our email. Allow enough time for your advocate to submit their letter. LORs received after our program deadline will not be accepted.

No. Letters of recommendation from family members are not accepted. If a letter is found to be from a family member and you are awarded a scholarship, the scholarship will be rescinded and awarded to the next eligible ranked student.

The requirement of submitting letters of recommendation for select funds is set forth by the donors. If you are unable to find the specific type of writer, i.e. educator, community or employer, then you may have to evaluate your eligibility for the scholarship.

Educator: A current or former teacher/professor/instructor, advisor, counselor or coach.

Employer: Typically the person in charge at your workplace that oversees your training and work activities.

Community: Typically the person in charge of at the organization you volunteer at.

Yes, as long as it satisfies the specific type of recommendation required for each scholarship fund.

If Step 2: LOR is still highlighted in yellow on the dashboard, this means that not all of your recommenders have responded, or the minimum number of LORs required by your selected scholarship fund(s) have not yet been met. We encourage you to follow up with those recommenders marked 'Pending' or go back to the dashboard and from Step 1, choose 'View Confirmation' to see which funds require multiple or specific types of LORs.

Art portfolios are required only if the scholarship fund you’ve chosen requires it. Please review our scholarships listing to determine which fund requires a portfolio.

Submit a hard copy of your art portfolio via mail (USPS) or email the URL of your online art portfolio or video to Pauahi Foundation. Ensure that your portfolio/each art work does not include any identifying marks such as your first and/or last name; instead, replace identifying marks (your name) with your KAPF ID number. Art portfolios/each art work with identifying marks (your name) will not be considered. Art portfolio must be received by Pauahi Foundation before program deadline date and time.

Online Art Portfolio: Sample 1, Sample 2

Our mailing address:
Pauahi Foundation — Scholarships
567 S. King. St.
Honolulu, HI 96813

Our email: scholarships@pauahi.org

For the 2025-26 program year, Pauahi Foundation will be collecting alternate information to determine financial need: a completed Student & Parent Form, all applicable Form W2 (2023), and all applicable Federal Tax Return Form 1040 (2023).

All three documents must be submitted no later than the posted program deadline, December 15, 2024 at 5:00pm (HST), to be considered for selected funds that are financial need based.

Only those who have selected any one of our financial need-based scholarship fund on their application will be asked to submit these supplemental financial documents:

Student & Parent Form – You can download this form via our online application portal’s secured document manager section (see: Step 3: Documents). Complete and submit your Pauahi Foundation application first. If you select any financial need-based funds on the application, go to Step 3: Documents to download the Student and Parent Form. Once complete, send it back to us via the upload feature in the secured document manager section.
Form W2 - Also known as the Wage and Tax Statement, is a document an employer sends to each employee and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and shows income earned from an employer and the amount of taxes withheld from an employee's paycheck so taxpayers can file federal and state taxes.
Click here for sample.
To submit, upload this document via our online application portal.
Federal Tax Return Form 1040 - Formally known as the “U.S. Individual Income Tax Return,” is the IRS tax form you use to report all types of income and expenses, claim tax deductions and credits, and calculate your tax bill or refund for the tax year. Your Form 1040 must be signed & dated or include a self-select PIN or Practitioner PIN to be considered valid.
Click here for sample.
To submit, upload via our online application portal.

You must first complete & submit your Pauahi Foundation online application (Step 1: Application & Agreement) first before you are able upload any documents via our online portal.

Before proceeding, you may want to combine multiple pages into a single file. For example, if you have 4 Form W2s, save it as a single file instead of uploading 4 individual files.

Log-in to the online application portal. Then, go to: Applicant Dashboard > Step 3: Required Documents

If you are submitting your Student & Parent Form, on the corresponding line marked ‘Student & Parent Form,’ click “Choose File.” Locate your Student & Parent Form on your computer, then click “Upload.”

Repeat this for your Form W2 and Form 1040.

Our Pauahi Foundation scholarships team has reviewed your submitted document(s) and determined that it is either incomplete, illegible, or additional information is required.

Please be sure to check your primary email associated with your application for correspondence from Pauahi Foundation scholarships@pauahi.org. It will contain important information that will help you complete your application. If you do not see correspondence from us in your Inbox, be sure to check your Spam or Junk folders too.

Award checks are disbursed directly to your designated institution during the fall semester (August).

Awards are based on information provided from the applicant and according to the criteria set forth by the donors. A re-evaluation of the new information will be made and you will be notified of the decision.

You must contact Pauahi Foundation (email: scholarships@pauahi.org) as soon as possible if you have decided to change schools. Please be prepared to provide the acceptance letter from that school.

No. If you are unable to utilize the funds for the academic year it is being awarded for, you will forfeit the award and the scholarship will be awarded to the next eligible ranked student.

You are required to request a copy of your official school transcript and send to the Pauahi Foundation at the end of each completed term, as outlined in the disbursement schedule that was provided to you upon award acceptance. The official transcript must show a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for undergraduates and vocational/technical students, or 3.0 for students at the graduate level or above. Official transcripts may be sent via email: scholarships@pauahi.org or via US Postal Service:

Pauahi Foundation — Scholarships
567 S. King St.
Honolulu, HI 96813

See our terms and conditions for more information.

What is your career goal? Why have you chosen this career path and how do you intend to achieve this goal? (Provide as much information as possible.)
List your extracurricular activities, community service or volunteer work:

For current high school seniors:
List by academic year (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior) all extracurricular activities including: on- and off-campus clubs or activities, sports, volunteer or community service. Include your role.
Example: Freshman — Song leader, Glee Club; treasurer, student council; quarterback, JV football
For all others:
List by year all community service or volunteer work that you participated in or coordinated within the last 5 years. Include organization name, number of hours & supervisor name.
Example: Date — Organization name, number of hours, supervisor’s name.

Additional essays may be required by your selected scholarship fund. Please review the scholarships listing for prompts.

All personal statements and essays have a limitation of 3,000 characters, which is counted by each stroke on the keyboard: letters, numbers, punctuation and spaces. The counter at the bottom of the entry block indicates the number of characters you have remaining and will display a negative number if you are over the 3,000 character limit. In the event of an overage, you will need to edit your entry down to the 3,000 character limit.

Certain scholarship funds may require additional essays. Please check the scholarships listing for essay prompts unique to the fund.