Mānoa Academic Merit Scholarship

The Mānoa Academic Merit Scholarship program is designed to recognize the academic strengths of first-year, degree-seeking students who enroll at UH Mānoa in the semester following the completion of their high school diploma. This scholarship is awarded at the start of the student’s Mānoa degree pursuit and is intended to support the student’s enrollment for 4 years, as they progress toward degree completion. The Office of Admissions selects and awards these merit scholarships based on a student’s admission application and a holistic academic record review. There is no separate application for students to be considered for these scholarships.

Starting with students who enroll in the Fall 2024 semester, the Mānoa Academic Merit Scholarship amount ranges from $2,000 to $4,000 per academic year. The amount awarded ($2,000; $3,000; or $4,000) is based on the student’s high school academic performance and cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). This scholarship amount awarded is applied toward and reduces the student’s tuition costs. See below for more details regarding scholarship criteria.

The Office of Admissions will award these scholarships throughout the application season, from the opening of the application through the final application deadline, April 1, and as long as scholarships are available. Students are encouraged to apply as early in the application season as possible to maximize their chances of receiving a scholarship.

Criteria for Scholarship Consideration All admitted first-year, degree-seeking applicants with a strong academic record will be considered for a Mānoa Academic Merit Scholarship.

• Residency Status: Hawai’i Residents
• Hawai’i residents with a high school cumulative GPA of 3.0-3.59 will be considered for a $3,000 scholarship per year. Total $12,000 over 4 years.
• Hawai’i residents with a high school cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher will be considered for a $4,000 scholarship per year. Total $16,000 over 4 years.
• Residency Status: U.S. citizen, Hawai’i non-resident (including WUE-eligible students)
• U.S. citizen, Hawai’i non-residents (including WUE-eligible students) with a high school cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher will be considered for a $2,000 scholarship per year. Total $8,000 over 4 years. The scholarship eligibility criteria is based on the student’s original residency status (Hawai’i or non-Hawai’i resident in the U.S.). Students who are eligible for and receive a non-resident tuition exemption will be eligible for a merit scholarship level according to their original residency status. For instance, a non-Hawai’i resident who is eligible for and receives the Native Hawaiian tuition status exemption would be eligible for the $2,000 Mānoa Academic Merit Scholarship level.

Note: For those who are familiar with Mānoa’s admission and scholarship processes, please note that as of the Fall 2024 semester, this scholarship is no longer an automatic award. While the award is no longer automatic, we anticipate that most students who apply for admission and meet the eligibility criteria will be awarded a scholarship.