About the Program

What do I need to do to get to UH Manoa? 

A Semester in Hawai’i (ASH) is a program intended to facilitate undergraduate students attending the University of Hawai’i Manoa for a single semester as transfer students. Students must be accepted to the University of Hawai’i Manoa as a transfer student in order to participate in the ASH Program. Please see the Apply Now! page for more details.

When it comes to navigating the process of enrollment and arrival on the island the ASH staff is here to help, but there are many aspects of the student experience that ASH does not have control over. Questions or concerns regarding the following issues should be directed to the following departments: UH system application (admissions), Registration for courses (registrar), Housing (student housing services), Financial support (financial aid services), and university fees (the cashier’s office). 

Costs and Fees: Unless detailed otherwise by a special agreement between the student’s home institution and ASH, all students are single-semester, unclassified transfer students at UH. As transfer students ASH students will be held responsible for all fees associated with attending UH unless specified otherwise in an agreement between UH and the student’s home institution. 

Once enrolled at UH the student has full responsibility for payment of all fees: Tuition, housing, meals, and all other/incidental costs are the responsibility of the student and not the ASH program.

Financial Assistance: To pursue financial assistance through UH please contact the UH Financial Aid Office to request financial assistance. Check for the FAFSA priority application deadline to receive financial aid packet on time. UH’s FAFSA code is 001610.

On-Campus Housing: You must apply ONLINE for on-campus housing if you wish to reside on-campus. Meet the Housing Office application deadline and submit deposits on time. Important: you will need your UH ID number when you apply for online housing. Your UH ID number is included with your acceptance letter or can be retrieved by calling the ASH office. ASH cannot guarantee on-campus housing so you will need to apply as soon as possible. ASH students may also reside off-campus. All ASH students are responsible for reserving their own housing accommodations.

Due to increased demand of on-campus housing, we unfortunately cannot secure any holds for on-campus housing for ASH students. Please be prepared to find alternative housing accommodations off-campus.

UH ID Number: Keep your acceptance letter in a safe place because you need your UH ID number to register. Check the UH Registration Guide for your registration time and register at the assigned time to have the best selection of classes. You will register for courses online approximately one to two weeks prior to the beginning of the semester.

Courses: Check the UH online course catalog and Registration Guide for course descriptions and availability. Students may enroll in any available course at UH as long as UH prerequisites are fulfilled. Confer with the UH advisor for the relevant department and confirm you prior coursework can be counted towards the prerequisites for a desired class. This advisor does not serve as your personal advisor as a student, but they should be able to help you determine whether or not you meet the prerequisites for a desired course.

Confer with your home college advisor to make sure that your desired courses taken at UH will apply toward your graduation requirements. Select courses and a few alternate courses. Note that specific courses and times for the upcoming semester will be posted online near the end of the current semester. To obtain a good idea of courses offered each semester check the class availability website for previous semesters course offerings.) You will register online about 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the new semester. 

What will I do once I’m studying at UH Manoa?

ASH Orientation: ASH provides a brief orientation which will be scheduled for your ASH cohort before classes begin each semester. This is in addition to the general student orientation provided for all UH students. The orientation includes a short walking tour of the main portion of campus and usually involves free snacks provided to the ASH student cohort. It is also a valuable opportunity to check in with students about their schedules and begin planning a first group activity!

Mid-Semester Meeting: Like the orientation, the mid-semester meeting serves as an opportunity to check in with all our ASH students and confirm that the semester is going well for everyone. It is also a great time to check in with students about their schedules and begin planning a second and third group activity for the semester. 

Exit Meeting: The exit meeting is an important way for ASH students to say good-bye to one another and for us here at ASH to get valuable feedback about the program. 

Group Activities: Throughout the semester ASH students are invited to attend two to three group activities around Honolulu. In the past these activities have included visiting the Diamond Head State Monument, a walking tour of the Kaka’ako neighborhood of Honolulu including an excursion to their popular farmer’s market, and a historical walking tour of the state capital, ‘Iolani Palace, and other architectural landmarks unique to Honolulu.

A Word on Communication: While ASH always works hard to ensure that all of these meetings and events are held at times when all students can participate, it is sometimes inevitable that conflicting schedules make it impossible for all students to attend. In this case we always provide an opportunity for a follow up meeting or try to reschedule/plan a second activity.

ASH students are responsible for RSVPing to these events and responding to emails in a timely manner when events are being planned. If students do not respond to emails and invitations and do not attend these meetings or events this is not the responsibility of ASH.

If a student fails to respond to all attempts to contact them for more than 72 hours ASH will reach out to the emergency contact listed for that student in order to confirm the student’s whereabouts and safety.