Apply for a scholarship

Take that next step with a scholarship from the Pauahi Foundation.

Post-secondary scholarships

About our program

The Pauahi Foundation administers college scholarships that have been created by private donors in support of post-secondary areas of study.

Many awards are determined by merit and financial need.

Scholarships are available to the general public. However, it is the policy of the Foundation to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.

See more information about our program

Post-secondary scholarship applications for the 2026-2027 academic year will open September 15, 2025.

General program eligibility

Those interested in our scholarships program are encouraged to complete our Pauahi Foundation application to be considered for multiple scholarship opportunities.

Scholarships administered by the Pauahi Foundation each have their own unique criteria and requirements. It is recommended that you carefully review our scholarships listing to understand eligibility requirements.

Required documents

Applicants must submit the following required documents no later than our program deadline date and time:

Online application
Personal statement
List of extracurricular/community service activities
For current high school seniors attending Kamehameha Schools only: One letter of recommendation

Additional requirements such as letters of recommendation, supplemental scholarship specific essays, portfolios and financial documents may be required if outlined by the individual scholarship.

Learn how to get started

Frequently asked questions

There are over 200 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 (coming soon).

No, not necessarily. Some of our scholarships are not restricted to Hawai‘i residents, however, there are scholarships that require applicants to be Hawai‘i residents or require attendance at a college/university in Hawai‘i.

A Hawai‘i resident is defined as living continuously in the state of Hawai‘i for at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the date of application. For this scholarship program, a dependent student’s residency is based on his or her parent’s state of residence.

Recipients are considered Hawai‘i residents if they meet the following requirements:

Received an award disbursement in the 2025-2026 academic year; and
Will pursue the same degree program in the 2026-2027 academic year

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.

A majority of the Pauahi Foundation scholarships require a yearly application.

Even "multi-year" scholarship may require an application each year.

If you have any questions about your scholarship, please contact the Pauahi Foundation.

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.

Part-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 part-time enrollment. Please check the Scholarships Listing for details.

If you are changing degree mid-year (e.g. bachelor’s during the fall semester and master’s during the spring semester), your spring award will be reevaluated. Your next steps will be communicated to you once we receive and review your college scholarship application. Additional information and/or documentation may be requested.

Review all scholarship requirements when selecting. Some scholarships have a full-time enrollment requirement. However, non-traditional students enrolled at least part-time at a Hawai‘i institution may be considered. If you were considered a non-traditional student in a prior year, your eligibility for the 2026-2027 academic year will be re-evaluated. Your next steps will be communicated to you once we receive and review your college scholarship application. Additional information and/or documentation may be requested.

Be sure the email address you provide when registering is an email you frequently access.

If you have previously applied with Pauahi Foundation, you must re-register & create a new password.

A verification email will be sent to your containing a unique hyperlink that will complete your profile registration. Please check your inbox, spam or junk folder.

Add Pauahi Foundation Scholarships, scholarships@pauahi.org to your address book or contact list to avoid missing future correspondence from us.

Your username is the email address that you registered with.

If you have forgotten your password, click on the ʻForgot your password?ʻ link on the Log-In page and follow the on-screen prompts.

You will need to know the answer to the security question you selected when you initially set up your profile.

Be sure the email address you provide when registering is an email you frequently access.

If you have previously applied with Pauahi Foundation, you must re-register & create a new password.

A verification email will be sent to your containing a unique hyperlink that will complete your profile registration. Please check your inbox, spam or junk folder.

Add Pauahi Foundation Scholarships, scholarships@pauahi.org to your address book or contact list to avoid missing future correspondence from us.

Yes. The application times out after 20 minutes of inactivity for security reasons.

To avoid losing your work:

Click "Save & Continue" at the bottom of each section
Prepare your personal statement and essays in advance using Word or a text editor
Review our Scholarships listing before hand so you can quickly select your scholarships

First, check that your institution is accredited by an organization recognized by Pauahi Foundation. 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.

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 2025
Total and/or Calculated cumulative GPA of all courses completed through Spring 2025

*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). AND if you are currently in 1st year of college, please also include a copy of your first term coursework.
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 2025.
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.

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.

Be sure to enter your complete the Personal Information section on the Application (Step 1) first before submitting a request for an LOR.

From the Dashboard, go to Letters of Recommendation (Step 2).
On the Request LOR Form, enter your recommenderʻs information: first name, last name and email address. Make sure that you enter their information correctly.
Select the Letter Type. Note: Depending on the scholarships selected on your application, you may need to request a minimum number and/or specific types of LORs. Please refer back to your Application Confirmation Summary and the Scholarships Listing for details.
Click the ʻRequest LORʻ button.

Your Recommender will receive an email from Pauahi Foundation containing a special hyperlink that they must click. Please let your recommender know ahead of time that deadline for them to submit the LOR via our online form is November 30, 2025. We do not accept LORs submitted outside of our online portal.

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. Depending on the scholarship(s) selected on your application, your LORs must be a minimum number of and/or a combination of the following types:

Academic Advisor
Band Director
Coach
Community/Non-Profit Leader
Counselor
Employer
Mentor
Music Professional
Religious/Spiritual Leader: Chaplain, Minister, Pastor, Priest, Sunday School Teacher, Youth Group Leader
Senior Army/Marine Instructor
Social Worker, Social Service Agency
Teacher, Professor

Neither of which can be a person related to you.

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

If Step 2: Letters of Recommendation is still marked pending or incomplete, the minimum number or required types of LORs has not yet been met.

Be sure to follow up with any recommender still marked Pending or Declined.

Refer back to your Application Confirmation Summary and the Scholarships Listing for details as to what LORs are required.

An art portfolio is required only if the scholarship fund you've selected on the application requires it.

From the Dashboard, go to Step 3: Required Documents. If Art Portfolio is listed, then you must provide your art portfolio no later than our program deadline in order to be considered for the selected scholarship.

Do not include any identifying marks on your artwork or URL. This includes: your first name, last name, and nickname, and self-portraits. An exception will be made for video/musical performances.
Use your KAPF ID number in place of your name when assigning a title to your art portfolio, or website URL. For example: www.KAPF12345-ART.com
Select your strongest, best, or your favorite art work only. Typically, no more than 10 pieces per category of your choosing. Do not showcase your entire collection of art work.

(Preferred method) Create an online portfolio and copy & paste the URL into the space provided on Step 3: Required Documents. Make sure that your online portfolio is published, requires no password to view, and is active for a minimum of 1 year.

Sample 1 - Google Sites (hyperlink to: https://sites.google.com/ksbe.edu/kapf12345-artportfolio/home)

Sample 2 - Wix (hyperlink to: https://nnfarina1.wixsite.com/kapf67890)

Alternatively, you may choose to create a PDF version of your portfolio and email it to: scholarships@pauahi.org no later than our program deadline. Ensure that the file is no greater than 5MB total.

In both scenarios, ensure that your art portfolio meets our submission guidelines.

Financial documents are required only if the scholarship fund youʻve selected on the application requires it.

From the Dashboard, go to Step 3: Required Documents. If a financial document is listed, then you must provide that financial document no later than our program deadline in order to be considered for the selected scholarship.

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.

From the Dashboard, go to Step 3: Required Documents. Go to a financial document line item (ex. "1040 Tax Form"). Click ʻBrowse,ʻ locate and select the corresponding file on your computer, then click ʻUpload.ʻ Repeat for all remaining financial documents listed.

Check your submission status regularly on this page. Monitor your email for requests from Pauahi Foundation for additional information.

You will need to provide all of the following financial documents no later than our program deadline:

2024 Federal Income Tax Return Form 1040. All pages, including signed signature page (or digital signature confirmation page)
Schedule 1 (2024)
Schedule A (2024)
Schedule C (2024)
Schedule D (2024)
Schedule E (2024)
Schedule F (2024)
All applicable employer issued Form
Form 1099, Form 1099R (2024)
Non-Tax Filer Statement, if applicable

If you are a dependent student, you must provide your custodial parent(s) financial documents.

If you are an independent student, you must provide you & your spouseʻs (if applicable) financial documents.

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.

All awardees will need to complete a set of disbursement requirements. Once those are confirmed and received, disbursements will begin in late August.

Your award amount will be re-evaluated based on the cost of attendance at your new school. Your next steps will be communicated to you once we receive and review your college application responses. Additional information and/or documentation may be requested.

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.

All applicants are required to provide a response to the following prompt:

Describe your long-term career goals and the steps you plan to take to achieve them. How has your academic journey, personal experiences, work ethic and community involvement shaped these goals? Discuss the challenges you anticipate along the way and the strategies you will employ to overcome them. How will receiving this scholarship contribute to your success in reaching your career aspirations?
All applicants are also required to provide a list of extra-curricular activities, both on- and off- campus, community service or volunteer work performed.

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 scholarships may require additional essays beyond Pauahi Foundation's personal statement. Essay prompts may include:

Discuss either an on- or off-campus activity (ex. clubs, sports, community service, or volunteerism) that you've participated in that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or your career goal.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

More essay prompts can be found on our Scholarships Listing. We recommend that you carefully review each scholarship criteria and draft your response ahead of time, then copy & paste your response into your application.

Residency verification is needed for certain scholarships whose criteria requires the applicant to be from a certain island, state or region.

From the Dashboard, go to Step 3: Required Documents. If Residency Verification is listed, then you must provide the document no later than our program deadline in order to be considered for select scholarships.

We will accept the following:

Utility bills
Bank Statement
Lease Agreement or Mortgage Statement
Government-issued letters (dated & notarized)
Letter from a social service agency (on letterhead)
Voter registration card

If you are a dependent student, any of the above document must belong to your custodial parent(s) listed on your Pauahi Foundation application, and must be dated within the last 6 months. Custodial parent name and current address must be visible.

If you are an independent student, any of the above document must display your name (or your spouse's name, as listed on your Pauahi Foundation application), and must be dated within the last 6 months. You or your spouse's name and current address must be visible.

From the Dashboard, go to Step 3: Required Documents. Go to the line item marked Residency Verification, click 'Browse,' locate and select the corresponding file on your computer, then click 'Upload.'

Check your submission status regularly on this page. Monitor your email for requests from Pauahi Foundation for additional information.

Resource Centers

There are scholarship funds available to the public this year, with each fund varying in criteria and the number of awards distributed.

Complete one application to be considered for multiple scholarship opportunities:

Ho‘okawowo Scholarship

Kumu, or teachers, carry the responsibility of empowering our future generations with the knowledge and skills necessary to build a brighter tomorrow. They inspire our future leaders to strive for excellence, foster innovation, and nurture our keiki (children) to ensure a flourishing lāhui. We celebrate kumu for their wisdom and courage in making a difference, and we are honored to support their educational journeys through the following scholarship opportunities.

This need-based scholarship provides essential support to students pursuing degrees in education, Hawaiian language, and Hawaiian studies. Recipients of this scholarship should aspire to enter careers in Hawaiian culture-based and Hawaiian immersion teaching in the classroom.

See: Ho‘okawowo school listing

Mauō Scholarship

Provides scholarship opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Arizona State University (ASU). ASU offers various learning options, including ASU Local, ASU Online, and ASU Onsite programs, allowing students to tailor their academic journey to their preferences and needs.

Nā Ho‘okama a Pauahi Scholarship (NHAP)

The NHAP scholarship is dedicated to nurturing the aspirations of Native Hawaiian learners, helping them blossom into 'ōiwi leaders. NHAP is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who can demonstrate financial need.

Some of our scholarships are not restricted to Hawai‘i residents, however, there are scholarships that require applicants to be Hawai‘i residents or require attendance at a college/university in Hawai‘i.

Recipients are considered Hawai‘i residents if they meet the following requirements:

Received an award disbursement in the 2025-2026 academic year; and
Will pursue the same degree program in the 2026-2027 academic year

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

Review all scholarship requirements when selecting. Some scholarships have a full-time enrollment requirement. However, non-traditional students enrolled at a Hawai‘i institution may be considered. If you were considered a non-traditional student in a prior year, your eligibility for the 2026-2027 academic year will be re-evaluated. Your next steps will be communicated to you once we receive and review your college scholarship application. Additional information and/or documentation may be requested.

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, 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.

Your KAPF ID number is a unique Alphanumeric code (KAPF preceeded by 5 digits) that is generated once you complete and submit an application.

You can find your KAPF ID number on the Application Confirmation display page (from the Dashboard, go to Step 1: Application & Agreement > View > View Confirmation).

If you are required to submit an Art Portfolio, you will need to replace your name with your KAPF ID number (both on your artwork and within the URL).

If you are contacting Pauahi Foundation for any reason, please reference your KAPF ID number.

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 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 2025
Total and/or Calculated cumulative GPA of all courses completed through Spring 2025

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

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). AND if you are currently in 1st year of college, please also include a copy of your first term coursework.
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 2025.
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.

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.

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.

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.

Be sure to enter your complete the Personal Information section on the Application (Step 1) first before submitting a request for an LOR.

From the Dashboard, go to Letters of Recommendation (Step 2).
On the Request LOR Form, enter your recommenderʻs information: first name, last name and email address. Make sure that you enter their information correctly.
Select the Letter Type. Note: Depending on the scholarships selected on your application, you may need to request a minimum number and/or specific types of LORs. Please refer back to your Application Confirmation Summary and the Scholarships Listing for details. 4. Click the ʻRequest LORʻ button.
Click the ʻRequest LORʻ button.

No. Depending on the scholarship(s) selected on your application, your LORs must be a minimum number of and/or a combination of the following types:

Academic Advisor
Band Director
Coach
Community/Non-Profit Leader
Counselor
Employer
Mentor
Music Professional
Religious/Spiritual Leader: Chaplain, Minister, Pastor, Priest, Sunday School Teacher, Youth Group Leader
Senior Army/Marine Instructor
Social Worker, Social Service Agency
Teacher, Professor

Neither of which can be a person related to you.

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

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.

All documents must be submitted no later than the posted program deadline, November 30, 2025 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.

All awardees will need to complete a set of disbursement requirements. Once those are confirmed and received, disbursements will begin in late August.

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.

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.

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

Enrolled in a classified, degree-seeking program, including vocational, trade & technical programs
Attending a two- or four-year accredited institution* in the state of Hawaii or the continental United States that is recognized by KS.
A full-time undergraduate or graduate student, as defined by their degree program. Half-time undergraduate or graduate students may be considered per individual scholarship requirements.

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