Postsecondary scholarships

Take that next step with a scholarship from the Pauahi Foundation

The Pauahi Foundation supports haumāna at every stage of their educational journey, cultivating a strong sense of agency and purpose in ‘ōiwi leaders who are shaping Hawai‘i’s future.

Please note: Applicants are welcome to apply for any or all of Pauahi Foundation’s scholarship offerings. You may use the filters below to refine the listings according to your eligibility and download a PDF version of the relevant scholarships.

Application window: Sept. 15 to Nov. 30, 2025

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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.

Scholarships listing

Required documents

To be considered for a Pauahi Foundation Scholarship, you must submit the following required documents by November 30, 2025:

Completed Pauahi Foundation Scholarship Application
Your most recent school transcript (official or unofficial)
One letter of recommendation — required only for current high school seniors attending Kamehameha Schools (Class of 2026)

In addition to these core requirements, other documents may be required depending on the specific scholarships you select. These may include but not limited to:

Additional letters of recommendation
Supplemental scholarship-specific essays
Art portfolios
Financial documents

Please review your scholarship selections carefully and upload all required documents to your Pauahi Foundation Scholarship Application at www.pauahi.org by the deadline.

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.

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 can be issued directly to the student.

School transcripts MUST display the following:

Student’s legal first & last name and (if applicable) degree program information
Name of school or school logo
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
Course information for Fall 2025

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 as well as the courses you are registered in for the first semester of senior year. 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

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

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.

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
Art Portfolios displaying your name will not be accepted.
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

Sample 2 - Wix

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.

To be considered for Pauahi Foundation’s need-based scholarships, applicants and their parent(s) must submit the following 2024 tax documents:

Signed and dated 2024 Federal Tax Return Form 1040
All applicable 2024 Federal Tax Schedules, including: Schedules 1, 2, 3, A, B, C, D, E, F, etc.
All applicable 2024 W-2s and any 1099 forms
Alternatively, we can accept the IRS Tax Return Transcript and Wage and Income Transcript for 2024 which can be downloaded from the irs.gov/transcripts. These two specific transcripts have all tax documents we required.

To submit, upload all applicable 2024 tax documents via our online application portal. Please do not send documents via email or fax, as these are not secure methods of transmission.

If you need to submit an additional document, please contact our office and we will open a secure portal for uploading.

All documents must be submitted by the posted program deadline: November 30, 2025.

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.

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.

A school transcript is required at the end of each completed term.

Please 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.

Some scholarships administered by the Pauahi Foundation may require applicants to reside in a specific region, city, island, or other geographic area. To verify residency, applicants must submit one (1) form of residency identification and one (1) residency document from the lists below.

Residency Identification (Choose one):

A current government-issued Driver’s License
A current government-issued Identification Card
A temporary government-issued Identification Card (subject to follow-up for permanent ID)

Residency Documentation (Choose one):
We will accept any of the following documents, dated within the last 6 months prior to Sept 15, 2025:

Utility bill (e.g., electricity, gas, water/sewage, internet, cable/TV, landline, refuse collection, cesspool/septic, residential water delivery)
Bank statement
Lease agreement or mortgage statement
HOA Statement (only if utilities are included)

Dependent applicants - If you are under 24, not married, without children of your own:
Submit residency documents under the name of a parent/legal guardian at the address listed on their scholarship application. The name and current address must be clearly visible and match.

Independent applicants - 24 or older, married, supporting children, enrolled in graduate school, a veteran or active-duty military, emancipated, or a ward of the court:
Submit residency documents under your own name and at the address listed on their scholarship application. The name and current address must be clearly visible and match.

From the Dashboard, go to Step 3: Required Documents. Go to the line item marked STATEID, 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

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

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.

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 you containing a unique hyperlink that will complete your profile registration. Please check your inbox, spam or junk folder.