OHA Allots $1.1M For College Scholarships

Courtesy photo.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs recently awarded the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa Native Hawaiian Science & Engineering Mentorship program a $1.1 million grant to provide scholarships for Native Hawaiian students.

According to OHA, the goal of the grant is to allow for more Native Hawaiian students to graduate with an undergraduate degree or earn a vocational education certificate.

The program has two priorities. The first is to support scholarships for Native Hawaiians pursuing vocational certificates, undergraduate and graduate degrees; and the second is to provide wrap-around services for non-traditional Native Hawaiian students to help them complete a post-secondary degree or vocational or technical education.

Between 2010 and 2018, OHA provided more than 2,000 post-secondary education scholarships, totaling more than $5.6 million.

The UH Mānoa Native Hawaiian Science & Engineering Mentorship Program will provide OHA Higher Education Scholarships to Native Hawaiian students in UH’s ten campus system: UH Mānoa, UH Hilo, UH Maui, UH West Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kapiʻolani Community College, Kauaʻi Community College, Leeward Community College and Windward Community College.

Each scholarship recipient will be matched with an on-campus coordinator and attend a scholarship orientation at their respective campus.

The program will provide scholarship recipients with advising and mentoring, professional and leadership development, and cultural-based workshops.

The grant period runs from Feb. 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, with $550,000 allocated for each year.

For more information, contact the UH Mānoa Native Hawaiian Science & Engineering Mentorship Program at [email protected].