How to make the college experience can be friendly to your wallet

Students can search online to find scholarships sponsored by different colleges, institutions, foundations and corporations. The challenge for students comes in sifting through all the available scholarships to find opportunities that they are eligible for, and opportunities that haven't passed the deadline yet. Take a look at these scholarships and organizations that offer money for student education.

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Kamehameha Schools Scholarships

The Nā Ho'okama a Pauahi and 'Imi Na'auao scholarships are awarded each year to students planning to attend college in the fall. Both require applicants to be Hawai'i residents and full-time students who are classified and seeking a degree. The former is a need-based scholarship offered to both prospective undergraduates and graduate students. The latter is a merit-based scholarship offered only to students applying to graduate school, specifically to students who already have or will receive their degree by the end of the spring semester. To be eligible, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0.  

Associated Students of the University of Hawai'i (ASUH)

ASUH offers a handful of awards, including ones for research and grad test prep. Their scholarship award is open to all full-time, undergraduate, classified students at Mānoa. There are three ways to be eligible: applicants must demonstrate a financial need, be in a unique situation/be a non-traditional student or have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Although the application cycle for the next academic year is no longer accepting applications, ASUH offers awards annually.  

Hawai'i Community Foundation

This scholarship organization is open to all interested students. The Hawai'i Community Foundation has over 190 different scholarship funds that, in 2014, distributed $4.5 million to applicants. Like the ASUH awards, the period for the 2016-2017 academic year is now closed, but the foundation opens their scholarships up annually in December.

Mānoa New Warrior and Presidential Scholarships

The Mānoa New Warrior Scholarships (Regent's, Chancellor's and Merit) are all offered to prospective and incoming freshmen applicants who have a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher. For the Regent's Scholarship, applicants must be a Hawai'i resident with a minimum SAT score of 1950, and "remarkable" extracurricular activities. Chancellor's applicants must have a minimum SAT score of 1600, graduated from a high school in the state and have a record of academic and extra-curricular activities with evidence of "superior academic achievement or creative endeavor," according to the scholarship's website. The Merit scholarships have similar eligibility rules but do not require a minimum SAT score or a high school diploma from an in-state school.

Presidential Scholarship applicants must be applying for admission to UH Mānoa as juniors. They must be residents of Hawai'i with a 3.7 college GPA, and must demonstrate high academic or creative achievement. 

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