Grants

Grants are gift aid that is awarded based on demonstrated financial need. Grants do not need to be repaid. The following are types of grants awarded through our office.

Students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to be considered for the following grants.

Federal Pell Grant

  • Award amount: Based on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or Student Aid Index (SAI) from FAFSA, enrollment status, and Lifetime Eligibility
  • Requirements:
    • Undergraduate student – you must be a first time Bachelor’s degree seeker
    • Demonstrate significant financial need
    • You must complete necessary requirements (if any). Check your status for any requirements (if any).

The maximum amount is given to any Federal Pell Grant eligible student whose parent or guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after Sept.11, 2001. You must be under 24 years old or enrolled at least part-time in college at the time of your parent’s or guardian’s death.

Lifetime Eligibility for Federal Pell Grant
The Federal Pell Grant has a lifetime limit of up to six full-time years (600%). The 600% total eligibility applies at all schools and colleges. In addition, you must also meet and maintain satisfactory academic progress standards to remain eligible each year. This 600% limit will be tracked by the U.S. Department of Education. If you would like to review your eligibility, please log into studentaid.gov and view the My Aid section for more information.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

  • Award amount: Up to $2,000 based on your enrollment status
    • Funding is limited
  • Requirements:
    • Undergraduate student – you must be a first time Bachelor’s degree seeker
    • Demonstrate exceptional financial need

      • Federal Pell Grant recipients with the lowest Expected Family Contributions (EFCs) or Student Aid Index (SAI) will be considered first

    • You must complete necessary requirements (if any). Check your status for any requirements (if any).
    • You must be enrolled in at least 6 UH Mānoa credits applicable toward your degree.

      • This grant may be prorated or revised if you are not enrolled full-time

Mānoa Opportunity Grant

  • Award amount: Up to $5,000 and is dependent upon tuition charged and enrollment status
    • Funding is limited, preference is given to students who meet the FAFSA priority date of February 1st and are a State of Hawai’i resident. The grant will be prorated based upon your enrollment in UH Mānoa courses applicable toward your degree when not full-time. (Please see Registration page for definition of full -time) Courses taken at other UH campuses do not count towards enrollment for this grant.
  • Requirements:
    • Undergraduate student – you must be a first time Bachelor’s degree seeker, enrolled in at least 6 UH Mānoa credits applicable toward your degree.
    • Graduate student – you must be enrolled in at least 4 UH Mānoa credits.
    • Demonstrated financial need based on information provided on FAFSA
    • You must complete necessary requirements (if any). Check your status for any requirements (if any).

Eligibility for the Mānoa Opportunity Grant is directly related to your residency classification associated with your UH student record. Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) and students who have been granted a military exemption for tuition purposes are not eligible for the Mānoa Opportunity Grant. If your residency status changes after you have been offered a Mānoa Opportunity Grant then your aid may be revised.

Pacific Islander Opportunity Grant

  • Award amount: Up to $4,000 based on your enrollment status
    • Funding is limited, preference will be given to those who meet the FAFSA priority date of February 1st. The grant will be prorated based upon your enrollment in UH Mānoa credits applicable toward your degree when not full-time. Courses taken at other UH campuses do not count towards enrollment for this grant.
  • Requirements:
    • Undergraduate students from eligible Pacific Island districts, commonwealths, territories, jurisdictions, states or nations which do not provide public institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees and pay the 150% resident tuition rate at UH Manoa.
    • Demonstrated financial need based on information provided on your FAFSA.
    • You must complete necessary requirements (if any). Check your status for any requirements (if any).

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH)

  • Award amount: Up to $4000 per year minus the federal sequester percentage, based on full-time enrollment
  • Requirements:
    • Undergraduate or graduate student
    • Be a U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen
    • Be enrolled as a Classified, degree-seeking student in a program of study in the College of Education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
    • A post-baccalaureate program is not TEACH-Grant-eligible if it is offered by a school that also offers a bachelor’s degree in education.
    • You must complete necessary requirements (if any). Check your status for any requirements (if any).
    • Must be completing the coursework necessary to begin a career in teaching
    • Meet one of the following academic achievement requirements:
      • Score above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test (example: SAT, GRE)
      • Graduate from high school with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 to receive a grant as a freshman, or
      • Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 at UH Mānoa or transfer cumulative GPA of at least 3.25
    • Complete TEACH Grant counseling and sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS). Be sure to respond to requests by the U.S. Department of Education confirming your continuing intention to meet the teaching obligation.

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program is for undergraduate and graduate students who intend to teach full-time in high need subject areas for at least four years at schools that serve students from low-income families. View the Federal Student Aid TEACH Grant information.

Teaching Obligation – Agreement to Serve
In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must be a highly-qualified, full-time teacher in a high-need subject area for at least four years at a school serving low-income students (Title I schools). As a recipient of a TEACH Grant, you must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which you received a TEACH Grant. View the Agreement to Serve.

IMPORTANT: If you fail to complete this service obligation, all amounts of TEACH Grants you received, will be converted into a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. You must then repay the U.S. Department of Education and you will be charged interest from the date the first grant was disbursed.

High-Need Fields:

  • Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition
  • Foreign Language
  • Mathematics
  • Reading Specialist
  • Science
  • Special Education
  • Other identified teacher shortage areas as of the time you begin teaching in that field.

Children of Fallen Heroes

  • Award amount: Up to the maximum Federal Pell Grant amount for the school year if full-time.
  • Requirements:
    • Federal Pell Grant-eligible students whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while performing as a public safety officer.
    • Must be less than 24 years of age or enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of your parent’s or guardian’s death.
    • You must complete necessary requirements (if any). Check your status for any requirements (if any).
  • For additional information, please visit the Federal Student Aid Children of Fallen Heroes.

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant

  • Award Amount: Up to the amount of a maximum Federal Pell Grant for the aid year minus- the federal sequester percentage and cannot exceed your cost of attendance for the aid year
  • Requirements:
    • You must complete necessary requirements (if any). Check your status for any requirements (if any).
    • You are not eligible for a Federal Pell Grant based on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) but meet the remaining Federal Pell Grant eligibility requirements.
    • Your parent or guardian was a member of the U.S. armed forces and died as a result of military service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
    • You must be under 24 years old or enrolled in college at least part-time at the time of your parent’s or guardian’s death.

    For additional information, please visit Federal Student Aid Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.