Nā Hokua Scholarship

Our 2025-2026 Scholarship Application is now closed. 

Please email us if you have any questions about the our program or would like to meet with a coach: nahokua@hawaii.edu.

Purpose: The purpose of the Nā Hokua Scholarship is to provide one-on-one coaching, career preparation, and financial support for full-time or part-time Native Hawaiian undergraduate students pursuing a certificate or degree at a University of Hawaiʻi (UH) System Community College (CC) or Education Center (EC). Students from all islands are highly encouraged to apply!

Eligibility:

• Participants must be taking classes at a UHCC: Hana EC, Hawaiʻi CC (Hilo), Hawaiʻi CC – Pālamanui, Honolulu CC, Kapiʻolani CC, Kauaʻi CC, Kō EC, Lanaʻi EC, Leeward CC, Certificate or 2-year Programs at Maui College, Molokai EC, Waiʻanae Moku, Windward CC

• Participants must be of Hawaiian ancestry

• Participants must be enrolled or applying with the intention to enroll at least part-time (6 credits)

• Participants must be available to attend our required in-person residential Ke Kahua Pilina Summer Bridge program on July 23-24, 2025 (For neighbor island participants, Nā Hokua will provide travel on July 22 and 25, as well as food and optional lodging)

Applicants will be given preference for selection based on the following criteria:

• Previously received 1 year of Nā Hokua scholarship support

• Previously received support from any programs collaborating with Nā Hokua (see application for a list of programs)

• Completed 12-36 credits by the end of the Spring 2025 semester

• Have clear college or career goals, including but not limited to majoring in a STEM field or pursuing a STEM career

• Pursuing a professional certificate or associate degree

• Attended a Nā Hokua Career Workshop between May 2024 and March 17, 2025, and completed a workshop reflection

• In good academic standing (i.e., receiving a minimum 2.0 GPA and earned 62.5% of attempted credits in the Fall 2023 semester, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0)

Kuleana for Participation
The Nā Hokua Scholarship will cover the cost of 12 credits for Fall ’25 and Spring ‘26. Recipients will:

• Attend an online Program Orientation during the Summer of 2025

• Complete our Ke Kahua Pilina asynchronous workshops and activities during the Summer of 2025

• Attend our in-person Ke Kahua Pilina Experiential Learning program on July 23-24, 2025 (For neighbor island participants, Nā Hokua will provide travel on July 22 and 25, as well as food and optional lodging)

• Participate in Scheduled Coaching Sessions regularly with Nā Hokua Coaches, Peer Mentors, or STEM Professionals (12 hours each semester)

• Participate in Nā Hokua Career Workshops or site visits (4 each semester)

• Complete one Career Prep Activity (Internship, Informational Interview, Professional Development Activity, Student Share-Out Presentation) at the end of each semester (i.e., two total throughout the academic year)

• Complete two Progress Check-Ins during each semester.

• Complete two Program Evaluation Forms at the end of each semester.

• Attend a Focus Group Evaluation Meeting with Nā Hokua Project Evaluator at the end of the Spring semester

• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) (i.e., minimum 2.0 GPA and earning 62.5% of attempted credits)

For your reference, a draft of the Kuleana Contract that we ask all scholarship recipients to complete upon acceptance can be viewed at https://go.hawaii.edu/bED.