All Graduate Degree Fellowship applicants may be considered for EWCA Alumni and Foundation scholarships. These awards are funded through privately endowed scholarships from the East-West Center Foundation and may supplement a Graduate Degree Fellowship. 

Through the generosity of the Center’s friends and alumni, supplementary scholarships have been established to assist East-West Center students. The Center may be able to make available a limited amount of Foundation Scholarship support to Graduate Degree Fellowship finalists with financial need on a case-by-case basis. Please Note: Graduate Degree Fellows who receive additional scholarship funds to supplement their Fellowship will only receive this in their first year. Please plan accordingly.

Some of these awards may also be made to semifinalists in the Graduate Degree Fellowship competition who do not receive a Graduate Degree Fellowship. Recipients of these scholarships are required to live in EWC housing and to participate in the EWC community. The average amount of the scholarship is $9,000, which a student can use to pay for housing, tuition, books or living expenses. Foundation scholarship recipients are responsible for paying for UHM tuition (at the in-state, resident rate which is granted for all EWC Foundation scholarship recipients), housing costs and living expenses. Foundation scholarships are for one year only. Candidates may re-apply for the Graduate Degree Fellowship the next year, and may receive a second Foundation scholarship, but it is not guaranteed. Please also note that for some students, Foundation scholarships will be taxed at 14% (see section on taxes for more details).

The Obuchi Scholarship supports Okinawan students for master’s or doctoral degree study at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in fields deemed beneficial to Okinawan development needs, or for the Asia Pacific Leadership Program (APLP), a non-degree leadership training program. 

Application to the Obuchi Scholarship for degree students must be made separately from the Graduate Degree Fellowship at: www.eastwestcenter.org/obuchi. These scholarships are offered through a joint partnership of the United States and Japanese governments, specifically through the East-West Center and the Okinawa Prefectural Government. The program’s mission is to help Okinawa develop and strengthen its human resources to take a proactive role in Asia Pacific intellectual, research, and business activities. Priority in the student selection process is given to those studying in fields of benefit to Okinawan development.

Obuchi Scholarship recipients participate in educational, cultural, residential community building, and leadership development programs at the East-West Center and follow the same program and requirements as the Graduate Degree Fellows. Please refer to this Handbook for these requirements and opportunities. The East-West Center and the University of Hawai‘i, located in a unique island setting with a distinctive multicultural heritage, offer premier resources for studies on Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. Through East-West Center affiliation, awardees become part of a growing network of students and alumni forging the shape and substance of the world’s most vibrant region.

Obuchi student fellows have opportunities to enhance their degree studies by participating in Center internship and leadership development projects.

Undertaking graduate degree studies at the UHM or joining the Asia Pacific Leadership Program through an Obuchi Scholarship is not merely about receiving a financial aid scholarship. Since the basic purpose of the East-West Center is to build a sense of Asia Pacific community and prepare for future leadership roles, Obuchi scholars and other EWC graduate student fellows live together and interact with each other in both intellectual and social activities. Through team-building activities, leadership development projects and internships, learning about the Asia Pacific region, cultural exchange, educational enrichment gatherings, community service and service learning projects, Obuchi scholars and other EWC Graduate Degree Fellows establish friendships and lifelong ties to a network of people committed to positive change in the Asia Pacific region.

Applicants must submit a photocopy of permanent domicile in Okinawa or a certificate of residence for Okinawa to show your eligibility to apply for the Obuchi Scholarship.

Click here to read testimonials from Obuchi Scholarship alumni.

This scholarship provides funding for Master’s degree study (up to 24 months) in ADB-JSP approved fields. Students participate in educational programs and a Leadership Certificate course at the EWC while pursuing graduate study at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. All member countries of the Asian Development Bank are eligible. Provisions include tuition and fees, book allowance, health insurance, housing in EWC facilities, monthly stipend, and round trip airfare from home country to the University of Hawaii. If you are eligible for the ADB–JSP Scholarship, you must submit a separate online application. See the East-West Center’s ADB–JSP website for additional information. 

The U.S. South Pacific Scholarship Program (USSP), authorized by the U.S. Congress and funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program that provides opportunities for Master’s and Bachelor’s degree study at the University of Hawai‘i in fields that are directly relevant to the development needs of Pacific Island countries. Candidates from the following countries, who meet specific selection criteria, are eligible for the program: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The U.S. South Pacific Scholarship Program is administered by the East-West Center on behalf of its funder, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. For more information please visit the USSP website.