Hawai`iMentor - Financial Aid

	Introduction Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 PAIS Calculator Scholarship Search

Step 4: What's Offered in Hawai`i?
Hawai`i Financial Aid Programs
Hawai`i Residency for State Universities
More Online Resources

Hawai`i Financial Aid Programs

The state of Hawai`i offers financial aid opportunities for residents who have financial need. In addition, the Hawai`i Community Foundation provides scholarships for college.

Hawai`i Leveraging Education Assistance Partnership Grant
This grant will be applied toward tuition for qualified undergraduate students with financial need who are Hawai`i residents and enrolled in a public or independent postsecondary institution in Hawai`i. Students must also be eligible for a Pell Grant. To apply, you must first file the FAFSA. For more information and deadlines, contact your college's financial aid office.

State Higher Education Loan
State Higher Education loans are for undergraduate and graduate students who are Hawai`i residents with exceptional financial need and enrolled at least half time at one of Hawai`i's two- or four-year public colleges. The loans carry an annual interest rate of 5 percent.

Undergraduates can borrow up to $4,000 per year — up to $20,000 — for their undergraduate studies. Graduate and professional students can borrow up to $6,000 per year, to a maximum of $40,000 (including the amount they borrowed as undergraduates). Interest begins to accrue nine months after students are no longer enrolled at least half time. Loans must be repaid in quarterly installments for up to 10 years, depending on the amount borrowed. Awards are restricted by the availability of funds.

Check with your college's financial aid office to find out if the college offers these loans. To apply, you must first file the FAFSA.

State Tuition Waiver
Hawai`i's public colleges offer two State Tuition Waiver programs at its two- and four-year colleges: one for residents with financial need; the other for both residents and nonresidents, regardless of income. Even though tuition costs may be waived, students still must pay any other fees.

Need-based waiver: To apply for the need-based tuition waiver, you must file the FAFSA by the required deadline. Each college sets its own deadlines, so be sure to check with your college's financial aid office early. Priority is given to those students who meet the application deadline and have the most financial need. For students who apply after the deadline, the need-based waiver is subject to the availability of funds.

Non-need-based waiver: Residents and nonresidents who participate in special programs or meet certain requirements may have their tuition waived. Each college sets its own eligibility requirements. In most cases, you must first file the FAFSA. (Some community colleges don't require the FAFSA to qualify for the non-need-based waiver.) Contact your financial aid office for more information and application deadlines.

Hawai`i Community Foundation Scholarships
More than 115 scholarship funds have been established through the Hawai`i Community Foundation to help Hawai`i residents pursue a college education. The awards vary by fund, from $500 to several thousand dollars. The average scholarship award is $1,450. The scholarships may be used at any not-for-profit college in the United States. To be eligible, you must be a Hawai`i resident, have financial need, plan to attend college full time for undergraduate or graduate study, have at least a 2.7 GPA and demonstrate good moral character.

Applications are available in November and must be postmarked no later than March 1. You may apply online or download the application forms from the foundation's Web site. To learn more, go to www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org (select "Scholarships"), call toll free 888.731.3863 or 808.537.6333, or write to the Hawai`i Community Foundation, Scholarship Programs, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 800, Honolulu, HI 96813 (for contact numbers of offices on other islands, go to www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/inside/contact.php).

Foster Youth Grants
Up to $5,000 a year for college or vocational training is available for foster youth who have aged out of foster care, or who were adopted after age 16. To learn more, talk to your caseworker, your college's financial aid office, contact Lee Dean, Social Services Division, Hawai`i Department of Social Services, 810 Richards Street, Suite 400, Honolulu, HI 96813, telephone 808.586.5704 or go to www.statevoucher.org and click on "Hawai`i".

WICHE Student Exchanges
Undergraduate, graduate and professional programs through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education offer Hawai`i residents the opportunity to attend out-of-state schools at special reduced tuition rates. Admission deadlines and requirements vary. To learn more, write to the Certifying Officer for Hawai`i, WICHE Student Exchange Programs, University of Hawai`i at Manoa, Bachman Hall, 2600 Campus Road, CSS 413, Honolulu, HI 96822, call 808.956.6625 or go to www.wiche.edu.

Hawai`i Residency for State Universities

For information on residency requirements to qualify for state tuition rates, contact your college's residency office.

More Online Resources

If you think you'll need financial help, apply for it. For more information, contact your high school counselor or college financial aid administrator or go to:

www.edfund.org
EDFUND, for information on low-interest federal loans for education, college and financial planning, strategies for managing a loan and more. Or call toll free 877.2EDFUND (that's 877.233.3863).

www.studentaid.ed.gov
The Federal Student Aid Information Center, for more on Pell Grants, other federal grants and loans and applying for federal and state aid. Or call toll free 800.4FED.AID (that's 800.433.3243).

www.hawaii.edu
The University of Hawai`i, where you'll find information on the state's three universities and seven community colleges.

All financial aid content ©2010 EDFUND, all rights reserved. Fund Your Future and EDWISE are registered trademarks of EDFUND.
Copyright © 2001-2010 XAP Corporation. All rights reserved. XAP and Mentor are registered trademarks of XAP Corporation. Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of the XAP Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.