For more than a century, the University of Hawaiʻi has worked hard to make higher education accessible to all. Whether through one of the seven community college campuses or one of the three four-year campuses, UH is expanding its efforts to attract the most promising students, regardless of their financial circumstances.
As college costs continue to rise, the amount of private support for students must as well. Gifts to scholarships and student aid help us to retain our best and brightest and to provide access to a life-changing higher education experience for our students.
"Entrepreneurship and small business are at the heart of making Hawaiʻi a more livable place," says Ben Godsey, president and CEO of ProService Hawaii.
“What makes you think you can go to medical school?” asked a neighbor. “People from this town rarely go to college, let alone medical school. And you’re a girl!”
“On a Google search,” says Mary Lynn Marrs, “my late grandmother’s scholarship appeared. It was like discovering buried treasure!”
The Jodean Marie Behner-Schneider Dela Cruz Endowed Scholarship was established by Romel Dela Cruz in memory of his wife for education students studying STEM at the UH Mānoa College of Education.
"We are facing family financial problems, such as pondering how to pay for my college expenses, but your generosity gives me an opportunity to gain more knowledge and skills."
"I would like to promote an interest in healthcare careers in students from public high schools, to help encourage rural students to become physicians, as it took me many years to realize this was my calling."
A gift from Pūlama Lānaʻi to the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine allows second-year medical students to participate in the Lānaʻi program for two full months, giving them valuable first-hand experience serving in a rural community.
"Scholarships have allowed me to conduct my dissertation research to understand influences of childhood diet and physical activity behaviors in my home islands of the Northern Marianas."
"I was on the phone with the counselor of the program every day, and he helped me transfer my transcripts from my four-year college. Two weeks later, I got an acceptance letter from the program, saying, “Congratulations, and welcome to the Fire Science Program at HCC.”'
"I’m thankful for donors’ support of law students at William S. Richardson School of Law. Seeking justice through social policy is one of my main goals, and I will continue pursuing this now that I’ve graduated."
Scholarships created by gifts from Ward Village and Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. were a welcome surprise for more than 150 apprentices in Honolulu Community College’s Apprenticeship and Journey Worker Training program.
Bernard and Pamela Lum were best friends and soul mates who shared a life full of love and laughter, traveling together abroad, enjoying good food and friends, and cheering for UH’s basketball teams. As a testament to the many blessings in their lives, they chose to add to their philanthropic legacy through a gift in their estate plan, not only adding to their existing cancer research and endowed scholarship funds, but also creating three additional endowed scholarships.
