Lahainaluna High seniors are offered UH scholarships

The University of Hawaii announced Tuesday that it will offer full scholarships to every Lahainaluna High School senior in the class of 2024, to support them in their recovery from the Lahaina wildfire disaster.

The scholarships will cover tuition, fees, books and supplies for full- and part-time students at any of UH’s 10 campuses. Every one of the approximately 190 seniors who was enrolled in the school Aug. 7 is eligible, regardless of where they are enrolled.

UH said the initial commitment is for one year while they seek funding to extend the scholarships to cover two or four years of college, depending on the campus the student attends.

“The seniors of Lahainaluna High School faced COVID in their freshman year, and now they and their families face unimaginable challenges around loss of ohana, homes, jobs and personal treasures,” UH President David Lassner said in a news release. “We are extending these scholarship offers to create at least one bright spot for these students and their families, to help them see a path forward to a better future.”

The value of such a scholarship could come out to as much as $13,536 per year, based on UH’s “cost of attendance” calculations on its website. Resident tuition next school year for undergraduates at UH Manoa will remain at $11,304 for two semesters. Fees are estimated at $882, and books and supplies, $1,350.

“We are deeply grateful to the University of Hawaii for providing our seniors with the opportunity to pursue higher education without having to worry about tuition and other costs,” Lahainaluna Principal Richard Carosso said in a news release. “This means so much to our ‘ohana, and we look forward to our Lunas taking advantage of UH’s generous support.”

The scholarships were announced at a class assembly Monday at Kulanihakoi High School in Kihei. Many Lahainaluna students are attending a temporary “school within a school” at Kulanihakoi High following the deadly Aug. 8 wildfire that destroyed most of Lahaina town.

Since some Lahainaluna students have moved or made alternate educational plans, the scholarship offer is available to every student who was enrolled as a senior at LHS on Aug. 7.

More details will be released soon, UH said.