Hawaii scholarships and grants
Every program the state of Hawaii runs for students, checked against its official page. For a list matched to you, answer a few questions.
Hide service scholarships (3) These pay for school in exchange for working in a job or place afterward.
Open to most students
Hawaiʻi Promise Scholarship
Covers unmet direct educational costs (tuition, fees, books and supplies) after other grants; amount depends on funding, need and creditsState of Hawaiʻi, administered by the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges
Open now · due March 1, 2027State-funded "last-dollar" aid that covers the direct college costs (tuition, fees, books) other grants leave unpaid for Hawaiʻi residents at any of the seven UH Community Colleges.
- What it takes: FAFSA only
- For students starting college, undergrads, trade school students
- Needs a 2+ GPA
- Need-based: the FAFSA decides how much you get.
Checked against the official page October 5, 2026
HIDOE Special Education Teacher Tuition Stipend
Special education licensure tuition at in-state rates: $15,840 to $28,800 per program (total), or $8,640 for Add-a-Teaching-FieldHawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education
Apply any timeService scholarshipThe catch: Teach special education in a Hawaiʻi public school for at least 3 years (1 for Add-a-Field); repayment terms are in the stipend packet.
HIDOE pays tuition for special education licensure coursework at UH Mānoa (up to $8,640-$28,800, by program) in return for teaching special education in a Hawaiʻi public school for three years.
- What it takes: See how to apply
- For undergrads, grad students, adults going back to school
- For special education, education students
Checked against the official page October 5, 2026
State of Hawaiʻi B Plus Scholarship
Up to $2,000 (per UH Mānoa); renewable up to four years, depending on fundingState of Hawaiʻi, administered by the University of Hawaiʻi
Check datesUp to $2,000 a year for Hawaiʻi public high school graduates with a 3.0+ GPA and financial need who start full-time at a University of Hawaiʻi campus the fall after graduation.
- What it takes: FAFSA + transcript
- For high school seniors, students starting college, undergrads
- Needs a 3+ GPA
- Need-based: the FAFSA decides how much you get.
Checked against the official page October 5, 2026
Grow Our Own (GOO) Teachers Initiative tuition stipend
Tuition and fees for required licensure courses: up to $15,190 (Post-Bac Elementary), $18,600 (Post-Bac Secondary), $23,520 (BEd Elementary Hawaiian Immersion) or $26,510 (MEdT Hawaiian Immersion) total, at 2026 ratesHawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education
Opens laterService scholarshipThe catch: Teach full time in a Hawaiʻi public or charter school for 3 years after graduating, or repay the stipend to HIDOE.
State-funded tuition reimbursement (up to $15,190-$26,510, depending on the program) for UH Mānoa teacher licensure students who commit to teaching three years in Hawaiʻi public schools.
- What it takes: state application + essay + recommendation
- For undergrads, grad students, adults going back to school
- For education, teacher licensure students
- Usual timing: Annual, only if the Legislature funds it: the application opens in the fall and is due October 1; optional principal recommendations by October 22. The 2026 deadline (Oct 1, 2026) has passed.
Checked against the official page October 5, 2026
For specific students
Military families, foster youth, certain careers and more. Each card says who qualifies.
Hawaiʻi Early Childhood Educator Stipend Program
Partial or full tuition for eligible early childhood education courses, per termHawaiʻi Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL) with the University of Hawaiʻi College of Education
Open now · due December 1, 2026Service scholarshipThe catch: Finish the credential and work 2 years in a Hawaiʻi early learning setting; what happens if you don't isn't stated, so ask first.
Partial or full tuition each term for students in early childhood education certificate, degree or license programs at a University of Hawaiʻi campus who agree to work two years in a Hawaiʻi early learning setting.
- Who it's for: Current or future early childhood educators and caregivers (children ages 0-5) in Hawaiʻi
- What it takes: state application
- For students starting college, undergrads, grad students, trade school students, adults going back to school
- For early childhood education students
Checked against the official page October 5, 2026
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.