American Studies home page

Scholarships & Financial Aid

American Studies students are eligible for several specific scholarship funds at UH.

We encourage you to apply for any that you qualify for. Often students think that their chances are slim and don’t bother applying: in the past, these pots of money have gone untapped because no students apply! The applications are often quite simple and short.

The following scholarships are now administered online through the STAR system:

The Danny Kaleikini Kahala Hilton Hotel Scholarship
Established in 1982 to honor Danny Kaleikini’s 15th anniversary at the Kahala Hilton Hotel, this scholarship supports UHM graduate and undergraduate students with a declared Arts and Humanities major.

Hands of Hope Scholarship
Established by the Hands of Hope Foundation, this scholarship supports UHM undergraduates with a declared major in American Studies, History, Philosophy, Religion, or Speech

The STAR system will also allow you to search for different scholarships that might be specifically for different topics of research, particular groups of people, Hawai‘i high school graduates, etc. There are many, many different funds available, so we encourage you to be proactive about finding and applying to them.

 

The American Studies Department also administers specific awards for its undergraduates (also through STAR)

Brown-Denney Award

  • Provides recognition for academic excellence for students in American Studies
  • 3.5 GPA or higher

“Kokoro” Scholarship

  • Endowed by the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation, this award assists students who are pursuing Japanese American Cultural Studies
  • 3.0 GPA or higher
  • financial need

Goto Foundation

  • To assist students who are pursuing interdisciplinary studies to foster volunteer activities and research which will contribute to world peace and to the promotion of the mutual understanding and friendship between the people of Hawai‘i and Japan.
  • 3.0 GPA or higher
  • financial need

In addition to these scholarships, the department awards tuition waivers every semester to its majors with the highest GPAs.