What is Financial Aid?

Financial aid helps students and their families pay for college. This financial assistance covers educational expenses including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. There are several types of financial aid, including grants and scholarships, work study and loans. Financial aid awards may include a combination of the various types of aid.

The Financial Aid Offices at each campus have professional staff members to administer the aid programs and advise students and their families regarding the financial aid and scholarship opportunities available to them.

Learn more about President Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Program and the Fresh Start initiative

Federal Grants

For information about grants, please visit the Federal Student Aid website.

  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG)

Federal Work Study

Under the Federal Work Study Program, you can work part-time to earn money for your education. Federal Work Study job openings can be viewed at www.hawaii.edu/sece

The FWS Program provides part-time employment while you are enrolled in school, helps pay your educational expenses, is available to undergraduate and graduate students, available to full-time or part-time students, administered by schools participating in the FWS Program and encourages community service work and work related to your course of study, whenever possible.

Loans

Scholarships & Waivers

Gift aid that is awarded based on a variety of factors, such as academic achievement, leadership, field of study, and/or financial need. Scholarships do not need to be repaid. The UH System Common Scholarship Application, is one application for numerous scholarships and used by the UH community colleges and UH System Office.

State of Hawaiʻi B Plus Scholarship: A scholarship for Hawaiʻi residents who graduated from a Hawaiʻi public high school after 2005. To be eligible, student must have at least a cumulative 3.0 high school GPA, completed a rigorous high school curriculum, be admitted and attend as a freshmen in the fall semester immediately following graduation from high school, demonstrates financial need, and is enrolled full-time. The scholarship may be renewed for another year if the student completes 30 credits in the first year with a cumulative 2.0 GPA at their home campus.

UH Opportunity Grants: Grants available to students who are enrolled in at least six credits, show demonstrated financial need, and meet satisfactory progress requirements. Eligibility is based upon financial need as determined through the FAFSA.

Hawaiʻi Promise Scholarship: UH Community Colleges is committed to meeting 100% of tuition costs for qualified students from Hawaiʻi.

Hawaiʻi Promise, funded by the State of Hawaiʻi provides scholarship to qualified new, continuing and transfer students pursuing a degree at one of the UH Community Colleges. 100% of students' unmet tuition need is met through a combination of federal grants (if applicable), and other scholarships, including Hawaiʻi Promise.

Additional terms and conditions:

  1. Hawaiʻi Promise is available for Hawaiʻi residents who enroll in six or more credits at a UH Community Colleges during the Fall or Spring terms.
  2. Unmet tuition need is based on the cost of tuition, information from a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and other aid received. Hawaiʻi Promise supports tuition costs that are not fully covered by other grants and scholarships.
  3. To qualify, students must submit their FAFSA and make Satisfactory Academic Progress (e.g. 2.0 grade point average).

Click here for additional information about Hawaiʻi Promise

Charles R. Hemenway Scholarship: A scholarship for bonafide Hawai’i residents pursuing their first degree. Students must be enrolled for at least six credits and demonstrate financial need based on the FAFSA. Requires a personal statement and a letter of recommendation.

Hawai’i Veterans Memorial Scholarship: A scholarship for bonafide Hawai’i residents pursuing their first degree. Students must be enrolled for at least 12 credits and demonstrate financial need based on the FAFSA. Requires personal statement and letter of recommendation.

Ruth E. Black Scholarship: A scholarship for Hawai’i residents whose parents are/were a part of the construction industry. Students must be pursuing their first degree and demonstrate financial need based on the information provided on the FAFSA. Requires a minimum enrollment of at least six credits.

Second Century Scholarship: A scholarship for Native Hawaiian students pursuing their first degree. Students must be Hawai’i residents and demonstrate financial need based on the FAFSA. Requires a minimum enrollment of at least 6 credits.

Native Hawaiian Tuition Waiver: A waiver for Native Hawaiian students pursuing their first degree. Students must be Hawai’i residents and demonstrate financial need based on the information provided on the FAFSA. Requires a minimum enrollment of at least 6 credits.