The starting point
HPU awards freshman academic merit automatically at admission but publishes no freshman dollar grid; its headline published award is a guaranteed minimum $15,000/year tuition scholarship for Fall 2026 Hawai'i high school graduates with a 2.75+ GPA, and all institutional aid is hard-capped at tuition.
More than one award path. Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.
Awards to discuss
First 3 of 5 recorded awards, in chapter display order. This is a selection, not a ranking. Read the full chapter for all awards. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.
Guaranteed Scholarship and Admission Program (GSAP)
$15,000 minimum · Published award terms
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: Minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA through the end of junior year
Eligibility: Anticipated graduation from an accredited Hawai'i high school in 2026; complete Fall 2026 admission application for a bachelor's degree program by January 15, 2026; core courses (4 yrs English, 3 yrs social sciences, 3 yrs natural science, 3 yrs mathematics); no disciplinary violations
Renewal: Annual tuition scholarship is renewable. Award is divided between fall/spring semesters towards the completion of an undergraduate bachelor's degree. Maximum eight consecutive semesters (fall/spring). Scholarship is renewable for 3 additional years.
Other terms: Hawai'i-resident gate: only graduates of Hawai'i high schools qualify. Pilot program for Fall 2026 entrants only; HPU retains the right to decide whether to continue it for later classes. Also includes a guaranteed $3,000 grant when filing a FAFSA by January 15 and a $500 Visit Grant.
https://hpu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/guarantee-scholarship-and-admission-program.html
Transfer Academic Merit Scholarships (GPA grid)
$3,000-$11,000 · Published range
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: 2.75-4.00 cumulative college transfer GPA (see grid)
Eligibility: Transfer student applicants; considered automatically at the time of admission; no separate application
Renewal: Continuing/returning students may receive their Merit Scholarships in subsequent years based on the guidelines/restrictions of the awards. Full-time enrollment (12-plus credit hours per semester) required for institutional scholarships and grants.
Other terms: The annual merit amount is split between the Fall and Spring semester. Applied toward tuition.
https://www.hpu.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/new-undergraduate/index.html
Academic Merit Scholarships (new undergraduate freshmen)
Amount not published · Published award terms
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
Eligibility: Full-time, degree-seeking, undergraduate freshman applicant; considered automatically at the time of admission based on academic abilities; no separate application
Renewal: Continuing/returning students may receive their Merit Scholarships in subsequent years based on the guidelines/restrictions of the awards. All institutional scholarships and grants require full-time enrollment (12-plus credit hours per semester).
Other terms: All admitted freshmen are automatically considered, but HPU publishes no freshman GPA/test grid and no dollar amounts; you learn your award at the time of admission. Awards are applied toward tuition only.
https://www.hpu.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/new-undergraduate/index.html
Ask before you decide
- Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
- What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
- How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?
Recorded stacking policy: HPU caps all tuition support at actual tuition cost: institutional scholarships (merit, PTK, talent, athletic, waivers) plus external tuition-designated awards cannot exceed tuition (not including fees). If tuition benefits paid directly to HPU (employer tuition, 529 tuition payments, VA tuition benefits, or external scholarships designated for tuition) reach 90% or more of total tuition, ALL HPU institutional tuition scholarships and grants are canceled; below 90%, they may be reduced or canceled. Tuition discount programs (Tuition Exchange, community partnership programs, employee/dependent discounts) cannot be stacked with HPU institutional scholarships or grants at all. HPU also reserves the right to reduce, cancel or substitute any institutional scholarship/grant at any time, and students must report all outside scholarships.
Our unanswered questions / Family notes
