ABOUT OUR SCHOLARSHIP:

ESTABLISHED IN 1918

Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole established the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu in 1918 to elevate the social & intellectual status of all Hawaiians and to increase pride in Hawaiian heritage. While delegate in Congress from Hawai‘i, Kūhiō made a trip back home in early 1917 and one day, as he stood at the corner of Fort and King Streets watching people walk by, he realized not only did he not know these people as they passed by, but also, they did not know him. He wondered where they were going, what was going on in their minds, what they did, where they lived. Kūhiō knew that Honolulu was growing, that Hawaii was growing. He wondered, were they aware of how Hawai‘i could grow and they, with her?

Kūhiō’s concern was deep seated. He wanted his Hawaiian to be educated. He wanted him to elevate himself. He wanted to instill in and promote the economic, intellectual, social status, well-being of the Hawaiian in his community and he wanted sincerely to see Hawai‘i’s culture to be forever preserved, not only for the Hawaiian but for all Hawai‘i. With this trend of thought, he called together a group of his very close friends to plant the seeds for the Hawaiian Civic Club.

The organization was founded with three objectives in mind at a time when socio-economic indicators were dismal for many Hawaiians. In order to help turn this situation around, Prince Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole had three founding objectives in mind when he established the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu:

• 1) Elevate (restore) the social status of Hawaiians

• 2) Elevate (restore) the intellectual status of Hawaiians

• 3) Increase pride in race heritage and Hawaiian identity

Since our club’s founding, there have been many efforts to help meet these objectives.

INSPIRING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

The purpose of the Scholarship Program is to inspire academic achievement and to facilitate Hawaiians in their quest to attain higher levels of education, thus improving representation of Hawaiians at post-secondary schools and equipping them with the academic tools necessary to improve their economic welfare.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

The amount of the award is determined by the HCCH Scholarship Awards Subcommittee. Awards vary and are based on the quality of the interview and letter of recommendation. Scholarship checks are made payable to the scholarship recipient and the post-high institution and are mailed directly to the university, college, or vocational program financial aid office. Scholarship funds may be used for tuition, fees, books and other educational expenses.

In 2025, HCCH awarded $81,000 in scholarships, an increase from $50,000 the previous year.

GENERAL QUALIFICATION CRITERIA:

• Applications are open to all qualified vocational, community college, and college-level candidates.

• Applicants must be a resident of the State of Hawaiʻi.

• Be a full-time student in an accredited two- or four-year college as a classified undergraduate student or a vocational program full-time student in or out of the State of Hawai‘i.

• Have a cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) of 2.5 for graduating high school seniors or undergraduate students. If cumulative G.P.A. is less than 2.5 provide a letter of explanation for consideration.

Official Transcript:

• Applicants may upload an unofficial transcript with their application. Official transcripts will be requested only if the applicant is selected for an award.

Letter of Recommendation:

• One letter of recommendation (LOR) is required to meet application criteria.

• The LOR must be uploaded as a PDF within the application. Applicants should include the name and relationship of the recommender when submitting the document.

• The LOR should come from a school teacher, professor, counselor, coach, or extracurricular leader who is not a relative of the applicant.

• The letter should speak to the applicant’s character, contributions, activities, and potential for completing a college degree.

• If unable to upload, Letters of Recommendation may be submitted via email or P.O. Box.

Short Answer / Essay:

Applicants are required to submit a one-page essay (maximum), double-spaced, in 12-point font.

Please respond to one of the following prompts:

• Why is financial literacy important for Native Hawaiians? Share an example of how financial knowledge can strengthen individuals, families, and communities.

• Affordable housing is a challenge for many Native Hawaiians. What are some solutions that could help address housing shortages or homelessness among Hawaiians?

Applicant Interviews:

Depending on the number of applications received, finalists may be required to complete a virtual interview conducted by members of the HCCH Scholarship Committee. Applicants will be notified after the submission deadline regarding scheduling of an interview.

Contact Us:

For questions, please contact hcchonoluluscholarship@gmail.com