Be sure that the email address you provide when registering is an email that you frequently check. If you do not receive an email from “scholarships@pauahi.org,” in your email inbox, please check your spam or junk folder.

You should also add Pauahi Foundation as a contact to avoid missing future emails from us as we frequently send important messages via email during the application window.

Please contact us at: scholarships@pauahi.org or (808) 534-8080 if you do not receive our email within 2-3 hours after registering.

Your username is typically the email address you registered with. If you’ve forgotten your password, please click on the “Forgot your password?” link on the Log-In page.

Yes. If you have previously applied for a scholarship with Pauahi Foundation, please register for a new user profile as your username and passphrase credentials from prior years have expired.

Yes. Our online application portal has a security feature that causes the application to time out after 20 minutes of inactivity. We highly recommend that you review our scholarships listing and prepare your personal statements and essays ahead of time and copy/paste them into your application.

You may “save & continue” your application anytime before submission, but once you submit your application, you will be unable to return to make changes.

First, check that your institution is accredited by an organization recognized by KS. If your institution is accredited by one of the seven accrediting agencies listed, click on “Other” and type in your institution in the text box provided and include the institution’s location (city, state).

 

No. Once your online application is submitted, you can not make any changes. Requests for changes must be submitted to scholarships@pauahi.org before the program deadline (please include your KAPF ID number in your email).

First, ensure that the document you are uploading is a PDF or JPG/JPEG file that does not exceed 5 MB.

Otherwise, a Pauahi Foundation scholarship team member has reviewed your document submission and has deemed it insufficient is requesting another document be submitted.

Log back into the online application portal, then click on Required Documents > Upload Document (or) Check Document Status for more information or to submit the correct document.

After completing and submitting your online application, an Application Confirmation screen will be displayed. Your KAPF ID will be listed and will be a five-digit number (ex. KAPF12345).

You can also review your submitted application from your Dashboard; your KAPFID number will be listed under “Confirmation Number” at the top of the screen.

Please include your KAPF ID number when submitting art portfolio and/or communication with Pauahi Foundation staff.

Applicants should obtain their school transcript by contacting their school’s registrar’s office, or if applicable, downloading a copy via their school’s online student portal.

We will accept the following:

• Unofficial - Transcript has been issued directly to the student or downloaded via the school's portal. A sealed envelope is not needed when uploading the document via KAPF’s Online Application Portal.
• Official - Transcript is sent directly to Pauahi Foundation by the school in a sealed envelope.

In all cases, the following MUST be clearly displayed on the transcript:

• Student’s legal name and (if applicable) degree program information
• Name of school and contact information
• Information of all completed courses (name of course, dates taken)
• Grades, weights and credits earned for all completed courses through Spring 2022
• Total and/or cumulative GPA

The following may NOT be submitted in lieu of a school transcript:

• Screenshot of school web portal
• Quarterly, Grade or Transfer Reports
• Class Schedules
• SAT Score Reports
• Diplomas
• Academic or Advising Plans
• Transcripts that do not display: Student name & info, School name & info, grades/weight/credits earned for all completed course, total/cumulative GPA

If you are:	Transcript must show:
A current high school senior	Final grade information and GPA (total and/or cumulative) for the first 6 semesters of completed high school work. In other words: your final GPAs (total and/or cumulative) for your Freshman, Sophomore & Junior years.
Current 1st year college undergraduate, OR Not-a-recent high school graduate OR Have never attended college	Final grade information and GPA for completed high school work (Grades 9 through 12). GED OK.
A current college student (2nd, 3rd, or 4th year undergraduate student or current graduate student)	Final grade information and GPA (total/cumulative) for each completed college term. In other words: your final GPA (total/cumulative) for all completed college terms through Spring 2022.
A college student matriculating to a higher degree program OR Current college student transferring to a new institution	Final grade information and GPA for most recent completed college term.

Please allow sufficient time for delivery. Documents received after our program deadline will not be accepted.

Delivery method	Instructions
Document upload via online application portal (Recommended)	Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded via our online portal (sealed envelope not necessary). Ensure that complete grade information is included and you scan and upload all pages of the transcript. Document text must be clear and legible. Once you have completed and submitted your Pauahi Foundation online application: Go to Applicant Dashboard > Required Documents > Upload Document On the line item marked “School Transcript,” click “Choose File,” locate your transcript, then “Upload” Only PDF and JPG/JPEG files, no more than 5 MB are accepted. Allow 3 business days for processing before checking on the status
Secured email via third-party processor (Recommended)	Applicable for some colleges/universities. Your official transcript can be sent directly from third-party processors such as eTranscripts, e-Scrip Safe, National Student Clearinghouse, Transcript Link, Parchment, Transcript Network, etc. and are made available as a secured, password protected downloadable PDF file. Please instruct your school to email directly to: Pauahi Foundation, scholarships@pauahi.org
U.S. Postal Service	Official transcript must be in the school’s  sealed/unopened envelope. Our mailing address: Pauahi Foundation — Scholarships 567 S. King St. Honolulu, HI 96813
In-person or drop-off (O‘ahu only)	Official transcript must be in the school’s sealed/unopened envelope. Visit any of our KS Resource Center locations on O‘ahu.

You may upload an unofficial transcript via our online application portal. A sealed envelope is not needed if you choose this delivery method.

Our Pauahi Foundation scholarships team has reviewed your submitted document and has determined that it is either incomplete (missing complete grade information) or the document is illegible or incorrect.

Please review our questions and answers in this school transcript section and submit the corrected document before our program deadline.

No. Request for LORs and receipt of LORs must be completed via our online application portal only. Letters received by email or mail will not be accepted.

1. Log in to the online application portal. Then, go to: Applicant Dashboard > Step 2: Letters of Recommendation > Request LORs.
2. Enter the first and last name of your advocate.
3. Choose your advocate’s referral type (Educator, Employer or Community Leader)
4. Enter your advocate’s email address.
5. Click “Request LOR”

Your advocate will receive an email from scholarships@pauahi.org which will include instructions on how they can submit their letter of recommendation to us online.

We highly recommend that you notify your advocate first about your request and advise them to check their inbox, spam or junk folder for our email. Allow enough time for your advocate to submit their letter. LORs received after our program deadline will not be accepted.

No. Letters of recommendation from family members are not accepted. If a letter is found to be from a family member and you are awarded a scholarship, the scholarship will be rescinded and awarded to the next eligible ranked student.

The requirement of submitting letters of recommendation for select funds is set forth by the donors. If you are unable to find the specific type of writer, i.e. educator, community or employer, then you may have to evaluate your eligibility for the scholarship.

Yes, as long as it satisfies the specific type of recommendation required for each scholarship fund.

The FAFSA is a form administered by the U.S. Department of Education. By the information you provide from tax forms, W-2s, other earned income, etc., third parties, such as college institutions are able to award college aid.

The Student Aid Report (SAR) summarizes all information you provided on your FAFSA. Your SAR will contain your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the number used in determining your eligibility for federal student aid and also the number the Foundation uses to determine financial need.

The SAR is approximately 10 pages long and displays your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), your response to all 106 questions, and tables showing your school information and financial aid history. ‘2023-24 Student Aid Report’ should appear at the top.

You should complete the FAFSA if you are applying for any of our scholarships with the criteria: “Demonstrate financial need.”

If you provided an email address when you submitted your FAFSA online, expect to receive an email from them within 3-5 business days. This email will contain a secure link so you can access and download your SAR. You may need to check your email’s spam or junk folder.

Make sure to download all pages of your SAR as a PDF file and ensure that all sections are expanded/made visible. This is the file you will need to send to Pauahi Foundation.
See also - https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/review-and-correct/sar-student-aid-report
See also - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJKlhnYReJA

No. We do not accept the “Print Summary” or the FAFSA Confirmation page in lieu of the SAR. You must send all pages of the SAR.

Log in to the online application portal. Then, go to: Applicant Dashboard > Required Documents > Upload Document

On the line item marked “SAR,” click “Choose File,” locate your SAR, then “Upload”

Our Pauahi Foundation scholarships team has reviewed your submitted document and has determined that it is either incomplete (not all 10 pages of your SAR were uploaded), outdated (SAR must be for the 2023-24 academic year), illegible or an incorrect document was submitted.

Please review our questions and answers in this SAR section and submit the corrected document before our program deadline.

Art portfolios are required only if the scholarship fund you’ve chosen requires it. Please review our scholarships listing to determine which fund requires an art portfolio.

• Please select up to 10 of your strongest/favorite pieces (per category).
• Remove all identifying marks such as your First Name, Last Name, Nickname. Replace your name with your KAPF ID Number.

You may create an online portfolio using a free website builder like Google Sites or Wix.
Sample 1
Sample 2

Submit your art portfolio via any method below, however please ensure that it reaches our office no later than our program deadline.

Mail via USPS:
Pauahi Foundation - Scholarships
567 S. King St.
Honolulu, HI 96813

Use this method if you have a hard copy portfolio. 

In-Person Drop-Off:
Please visit any of Kamehameha Schools' Resource Centers & Regional Offices.
See: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/KamehamehaSchools1@imua.ksbe.edu/bookings/

Use this method if you have hard copy portfolio.

Email:
scholarships@pauahi.org

Use this method if you have an online portfolio (URL) or if you have a PDF version of your portfolio.

Award checks are disbursed directly to your designated institution during the fall semester (August).

Awards are based on information provided from the applicant and according to the criteria set forth by the donors. A re-evaluation of the new information will be made and you will be notified of the decision.

You must contact Pauahi Foundation (email: scholarships@pauahi.org) as soon as possible if you have decided to change schools. Please be prepared to provide the acceptance letter from that school.

No. If you are unable to utilize the funds for the academic year it is being awarded for, you will forfeit the award and the scholarship will be awarded to the next eligible ranked student.

You are required to request a copy of your official school transcript and send to the Pauahi Foundation at the end of each completed term, as outlined in the disbursement schedule that was provided to you upon award acceptance. The official transcript must show a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for undergraduates and vocational/technical students, or 3.0 for students at the graduate level or above. Official transcripts may be sent via email: scholarships@pauahi.org or via US Postal Service: Pauahi Foundation - Scholarships, 567 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96813

See our terms & conditions for more information.*

All personal statements and essays have a limitation of 3,000 characters, which is counted by each stroke on the keyboard: letters, numbers, punctuation and spaces. The counter at the bottom of the entry block indicates the number of characters you have remaining and will display a negative number if you are over the 3,000 character limit. In the event of an overage, you will need to edit your entry down to the 3,000 character limit.

Certain scholarship funds that you select within the application may require an additional essay. Please check the scholarships listing for essay prompts unique to the fund.

For example, some funds may ask:

• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Discuss either an on- or off-campus activity that you've participated in that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or your career goal.

Other essay prompts may be asked - please review the scholarships listing for more information.

All essays responses are limited to 3,000 characters total.