The starting point
UH Mānoa publishes a clean GPA-banded Mānoa Academic Merit Scholarship grid (new criteria starting Fall 2026) plus a small set of higher-tier 'New Warrior' awards — Regents (full tuition + stipend), Provost ($10,000/yr), and Mānoa Excellence (resident-rate tuition for out-of-state students) — and lets WUE-state students pay 150% of resident tuition with scholarships stackable on top.
Selection beyond grades and scores. These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.
Awards to discuss
First 3 of 11 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.
Mānoa Academic Merit Scholarship — Hawaiʻi Residents
$2,500-$4,000 per year · Published range
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
GPA: 3.20+ cumulative high school GPA (banded: 3.20-3.49 = $2,500; 3.50-3.69 = $3,000; 3.70+ = $4,000)
Eligibility: Hawaiʻi resident; first-year, degree-seeking student enrolling in the fall semester following high school diploma completion; no separate application, but selection is by holistic review and awards continue only 'as long as scholarships are available'
Renewal: Students Awarded in Fall 2026 and later: Maintain a 3.20 undergraduate cumulative GPA or higher; Enroll and earn at least 12 credits per semester at Mānoa.
Other terms: Awarded for 4 years (8 consecutive semesters); applied toward and reduces tuition. New amounts/criteria begin with students enrolling Fall 2026.
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/fas/types-of-aid/scholarships/academic-merit-scholarships/
Mānoa Academic Merit Scholarship — U.S. citizen, Hawaiʻi non-resident, WUE eligible
$2,000 per year · Published amount
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
GPA: 3.50+ cumulative high school GPA
Eligibility: U.S. citizen, Hawaiʻi non-resident, WUE eligible; first-year student enrolling the fall after high school
Renewal: Students Awarded in Fall 2026 and later: Maintain a 3.20 undergraduate cumulative GPA or higher; Enroll and earn at least 12 credits per semester at Mānoa.
Other terms: Stacks on top of the WUE reduced tuition rate (WUE page states scholarships and grants can be awarded in addition to WUE).
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/fas/types-of-aid/scholarships/academic-merit-scholarships/
Mānoa Academic Merit Scholarship — U.S. citizen, Hawaiʻi non-resident
$4,000 per year · Published amount
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
GPA: 3.70+ cumulative high school GPA
Eligibility: U.S. citizen, Hawaiʻi non-resident (not WUE-eligible); first-year student enrolling the fall after high school
Renewal: Students Awarded in Fall 2026 and later: Maintain a 3.20 undergraduate cumulative GPA or higher; Enroll and earn at least 12 credits per semester at Mānoa.
Other terms: Against 2026-2027 non-resident tuition of $33,792, this is a modest discount.
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/fas/types-of-aid/scholarships/academic-merit-scholarships/
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: Two distinct rules: (1) among the Office of Admissions merit awards themselves, a student offered more than one may only accept ONE; (2) all aid plus scholarships/additional assistance (including private, Kamehameha, UH Foundation, and departmental scholarships) cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance — when it does, the financial aid package is reduced dollar-for-dollar, and students must notify Financial Aid Services of any outside assistance immediately.
Our unanswered questions / Family notes
