UH Mānoa has committed to covering the cost of attendance of students whose livelihoods have been impacted or affected by the Maui Wildfires. With this commitment, we aim to help impacted students complete their UH Mānoa degree. Mānoa is investing in these students because we believe that with their degree in hand, they will contribute their strengths and talents toward the revitalization and future of Lahaina and Kula. 

Additionally, Mānoa’s commitment furthers our values of diversity and equity; a majority of these students come from historically underrepresented backgrounds in higher education (e.g., first-generation to college, low-income, Native Hawaiians, and Filipino students). We believe that this is more than a scholarship program; this is a vital component of Mānoa investing in our students and the future economic contributions they will make to their communities once they have their Mānoa degree. 

The Commitment in Action 

As part of this commitment, Mānoa asked students to submit a FAFSA so that we could determine if students were eligible for any federal or state grants/scholarships. Mānoa also awarded students merit scholarships based on their academic record. To determine the amount of scholarships and aid for each student, Mānoa calculated their Cost of Attendance, then subtracted the amounts covered by federal grants, state grants, institutional scholarships and external scholarships for which the student was eligible. The remaining balance is the amount that Mānoa awarded to the student for the school year. 

The Cost of Mānoa’s Investment in Maui Students 

Mānoa began covering students’ costs in the fall 2023. During the 2023-2024 school year, Mānoa supported the costs for more than 60 students (undergraduate and graduate) who were enrolled at Mānoa at the time of the fires. Mānoa invested more than $380,000 in these students to make their accounts whole and cover their university costs. 

When UH announced a tremendous philanthropic gift for the Lahainaluna High School Class of 2024, students’ interest in Mānoa heightened – Mānoa was now within reach in a way that was not possible. However, there were more students impacted by the fires than those who were at Lahainaluna High School, so Mānoa committed to covering all students impacted, inclusive of, and not limited to, LHS Class of 2024 students. 

This fall, Mānoa has 160 enrolled students (undergraduate and graduate) who have been impacted by the fires and who need our help covering their college costs. While the gift to LHS Class of 2024 students covers tuition and fees for a subset of those students, there are still more students – including those who are continuing from the fall 2023 – who need financial assistance. 

These 160 students brought in approximately $1.3 million in federal aid, grants, and external scholarships for the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, 83 students from the LHS Class of 2024 brought in $1.16 million from the philanthropic gift. In return, Mānoa invested and awarded $2.5 million of our own institutional funds to cover the remaining costs of these 160 students for the 2024-2025 school year. 

Seeking Assistance from Philanthropic Partners 

Mānoa would like to continue this commitment through the next few years as the Lahaina and Kula communities continue recovery and healing efforts. We experienced an overwhelming and positive response from students and families who learned of our commitment. After the fires, they thought a college career was not possible or affordable, and we’ve had the honor of working with students and families who tell us that this commitment made their college dreams possible. We are already receiving serious inquiries from students who are graduating in the spring of 2025. 

However, Mānoa is limited in our scholarship resources, so we are seeking assistance from philanthropic partners. We know that we will continue to bring in funding from federal grants (such as the Pell grant), as well as external scholarships that students bring in themselves. Mānoa is now seeking help to cover students’ remaining costs each year. We would also like to support future students from the Class of 2025 and beyond, which is more challenging since the philanthropic support was focused on the Class of 2024. 

Contact Us 

We recognize that this is a long road to recovery, and we remain committed to walking this road with our students in the years ahead. We would appreciate partnering with other philanthropic partners to help alleviate and supplement future costs. For more information, please contact the interim Vice Provost for Student Success, Dr. Kapā Oliveira, via email at kapa.oliveira@hawaii.edu or Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Dr. Nikki Chun, via email at nkchun@hawaii.edu.