AAUW HONOLULU ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS
In 1905, the founders of the College Club – the organization that would become AAUW Honolulu – wrote that their founding principle was to promote “the higher ideals of education among women”. Women were a rarity in undergraduate classes, and even more so in graduate-level courses.
AAUW Honolulu promotes inclusiveness and strives to reflect the diversity of the island in its general membership, board and program participants. We recognize that our commitment to equity, inclusion and diversity is imperative to our mission and greatly enriches the effectiveness of our programs.
AAUW Honolulu continues that mandate made in 1881. We awarded over $90,000 in scholarships to deserving women college students between 2023 and 2025.
While women in the 21st century are attending college and receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in record numbers, they are still held back by the gender pay gap. They may encounter it when they work to pay for college, or they may encounter it when they graduate and settle in their first jobs.
AAUW’s research found that while women now make up a majority of the college population, they also take out more debt than men. The academic scholarships provided by AAUW Honolulu helps women in college graduate with less or no debt.
Nontraditional Undergraduate Scholarship
Applications for academic year 2026-2027 are open for applicants from Jan 7 to Mar 15, 2026. Please apply below.
Graduate Scholarship
AAUW Honolulu graduate scholarships are offered and administered by the Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF). Applications for academic year 2025-2026 will be open from Dec 8th, 2025 to Feb 26th, 2026.
AAUW Honolulu Undergraduate Academic Scholarship for Nontraditional Students
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Complete the online application below to apply. To submit your application, please gather the following required materials to upload to your application:
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Academic Transcripts – Upload "Unofficial" pdf copies of your transcripts from all college(s) attended using your student on-line portal. Your current institution (e.g. Univ Hawaiʻi) may offer a combination of Transfer & Campus transcripts in a single document. Be sure all your academic semesters are included in your uploaded transcripts. See a Sample Transcript >
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Current Estimate Family Contribution (EFC) (page 1 on the Student Aid Report (SAR) from Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – Your FAFSA must be submitted and processed in order to obtain your current SAR. If your report is still pending, please submit proof of submission with your application. A case by case exception will be made for applicants to submit their SAR after the deadline.
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Written Personal Statement – One-page, single spaced, 12pts, maximum of 500 words. Have your statement available when filling out the application to upload into the form below. Guidelines for your personal statement are provide below the form.
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Application Submission Period – January 7th at 9:00AM HST to March 15th at Midnight HST.
SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY
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Be a woman living in Hawaiʻi
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Demonstrate financial need
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Be over 21 years of age and have had your educational plans interrupted or delayed by family work obligations or challenging personal circumstances.
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Be accepted or enrolled as a full or part-time undergraduate in a college, community college, or university in the State of Hawaiʻi or on-line program from a regionally accredited public or private not for profit educational institution.
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Have completed a minimum of 12 credits.
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Have a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher for the most recent 2 semesters.
Note: No student intern or contractor receiving financial compensation from AAUW Honolulu is eligible for this scholarship.
Award Selection Process
Each year AAUW Honolulu receives many more applications for academic scholarships than we can fund. Our selection process begins by screening all applicants by financial need. The Committee then reviews the Personal Statements and determines which candidates will move on to the final phase which is a panel interview conducted over Zoom.
Your Written Personal Statement
We would like to learn a little more about you. Here are some things to think about as you write your personal statement. Please limit your statement to one page, 12pt single-spaced, and no more than about 500 words.
Your Statement Will be Assessed Using the Following Criteria:
Personal Growth
How have you evolved from leaving high school to deciding to return to school?
*Previous Awardees: ALSO note how you have grown in the past year, and share any additional challenges or successes.
Clarity of Educational Goals
How clear are you about your goals and how you plan to achieve them?
*Previous Awardees: ALSO address how your goals have changed or solidified in the last year
Self Reflection
Do you demonstrate self-reflection in your thinking, decision-making, and actions?
*Previous Awardees: ALSO include how what you have learned in the last year has shaped you.
Written Communication Skills
How well do you communicate in writing—is it clear, grammatically correct, interesting, and does it help reviewers understand who you are?
