Pauahi Foundation Postsecondary Scholarships

The Pauahi Foundation, the Kamehameha Schools-affiliated nonprofit, administers more than 250 scholarship funds for college and graduate students through one online application. Applications are open to the general public, with preference given to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent the law allows, and some funds do not require Hawai'i residency, so Native Hawaiian students living on the mainland can apply. Current high school seniors are eligible. Every applicant submits the main application with a personal statement and a recent transcript; depending on the funds chosen, students may also need recommendation letters, extra essays, financial documents for need-based awards, residency verification or an art portfolio. Kamehameha Schools seniors must include one recommendation. The 2027-28 application opens October 1, 2026 and is due December 1, 2026, with supplemental materials due January 15, 2027. Students must reapply every year, including recipients of multi-year awards.

Other deadlines near this one

• Coolidge Scholarship
  Due December 1, 2026 · Full ride: tuition, room, board and expenses for four years
• Hagan Scholarship
  Due December 1, 2026 · Up to $7,500/semester x 8 semesters (up to $60,000)
• Montana Higher Education Grant (MHEG)
  Due December 1, 2026 · Varies (recent average ~$600/yr)

How hard is the Pauahi Foundation Postsecondary Scholarships to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. No published applicant or winner counts exist for this award, so Solyo shows no odds figure.

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

• More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
• Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
• Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Pauahi Foundation Postsecondary Scholarships?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

• ✓Open to high school seniors and current college students

What the application takes

• Essay required.
• Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is December 1, 2026. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around December 1 each year. Applications open October 1.

Supplemental materials due

January 15, 2027

Application opens

October 1, 2026

Application due

December 1, 2026

Common questions about the Pauahi Foundation Postsecondary Scholarships

More identity & background

• Pennsylvania Chafee Education and Training Grant (Chafee ETG)
  Up to $5,000 per year (2026-27 maximum) · due March 31, 2027
• Point Foundation Community College Scholarship
  $4,800 · due April 8, 2027
• Point Foundation Flagship Scholarship
  Varies by need (renewable up to 4 years) · due November 20, 2026
• Que Llueva Cafe Scholarship
  Varies (modest one-time awards) · due March 6, 2027
• Ron Brown Scholar Program
  $10,000/yr x 4 years ($40,000) · due January 9, 2027
• SWE Scholarship Program
  $1,000 - $25,000 (one application, many awards) · due May 1, 2027

Lists this award appears on

• Scholarships With December Deadlines