Skip to main content

Financial Aid


The Financial Aid Office manages the process for the distribution of federal and institutional financial aid to eligible students. Please review the detailed information below or contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@chaminade.edu or 808-735-4780 to speak with a counselor. Walk-in counseling is available Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. The Financial Aid Office is located at Ching Hall, 3140 Waialae Ave. Honolulu, HI 96816. More detailed information can be found on our website: https://chaminade.edu/financial-aid/

Federal Financial Aid

Students enrolled in a degree-seeking program may be eligible for Federal Pell, FSEOG or TEACH grants, Federal Direct Student Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, and/or Federal Work-Study based on submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA can be filed for the upcoming academic year online beginning October 1 at www.fafsa.gov. The FAFSA calculates the “Estimated Family Contribution” (EFC), which is used to determine a student's financial aid eligibility. The “Cost of Attendance” (COA) includes tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, personal expenses, and transportation. To qualify for federal financial aid, students must be United States citizens or eligible non-citizens, have not defaulted on a prior student loan or owe a refund on a previous educational grant, and have registered with the selective service (generally applied to United States males ages 18 to 25). Continued eligibility for federal financial aid is based on submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually and maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

Institutional Merit-Based Scholarships and Need Grants

First-year and transfer applicants admitted to a full-time degree-seeking program will automatically be considered for a merit-based scholarship. Scholarships range in value and are awarded based on the student’s academic profile. The institutional scholarships are renewable each year provided the student meets the criteria for satisfactory academic progress. First-year admitted applicants with demonstrated financial need may qualify for a need-based institutional grant. The need-based grants are renewable each year provided the student meets the criteria for satisfactory academic progress. If the student’s demonstrated financial need changes based on data provided by the submission of the FAFSA, the value of the grant may be increased or decreased accordingly.

Chaminade Scholars Program

First-year applicants admitted to a full-time degree program may be eligible to receive a Chaminade Scholars Program scholarship. Chaminade Scholars are selected based on academic achievement (minimum high school GPA of 3.0) and is a graduate of a Marianist High School in the U.S., or a Catholic High School in the U.S., Guam or Saipan, or being a member of a Catholic Parish in the Diocese of Honolulu, Guam or American Samoa. Recipients are eligible for a 50% to 75% tuition scholarship and are expected to fully participate in community service activities for a minimum of 20 hours per semester. The Religious Scholarships are renewable annually if the recipient maintains satisfactory academic progress and meets the community service requirement. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually at www.fafsa.gov. Applications are available annually on the university's website.

Native Hawaiian Scholarships

First-year applicants admitted to a full-time degree program may be eligible for a need-based 50% tuition scholarship through the Office of Native Hawaiian Partnership (ONHP). Admitted applicants of Native Hawaiian ancestry will automatically be considered for the ONHP scholarship which is renewable annually based on satisfactory academic progress, annual submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and completing 20 hours of community service each semester.

Ho’oulu Scholarship

In partnership with the Kamehameha Schools and Scholarship Program, Chaminade selects Ho’oulu Scholars based on the applicant’s academic profile, anticipated major, and demonstrated financial need. Admitted first-year and transfer applicants must submit an online Ho’oulu Scholarship application and submit their supporting credentials. This full-tuition scholarship gives preference to applicants of Native Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law. The scholarship is renewable if the recipient maintains satisfactory academic progress, meets all of the requirements of the program, and submits the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually at www.fafsa.gov. Applications are available annually on the university's website.

Alaka’ina Scholarship

This $5,000 need-based scholarship is awarded to new first-year and/or transfer students for their first year of study at Chaminade. To be eligible for the scholarship new students must be of Native Hawaiian ancestry, meet academic requirements and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually at www.fafsa.gov. First-year students must have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.00 or higher and transfer students have a cumulative college GPA of 2.75 or higher. The Alaka’ina Foundation is a nonprofit Native Hawaiian organization with a mission to build and promote leadership and educational initiatives for the youth of Hawai’i. Closely aligned with Chaminade’s mission, the goal of the Foundation is to develop a new generation of leaders, especially those in rural areas, to serve in local communities as well as abroad.

NSF STEM Scholarship

This prestigious national scholarship program is funded by a National Science Foundation award to Chaminade University, recognizing our exceptional ability to prepare the next generation of scientists and leaders for Hawai‘i and the Pacific region. Admitted first-year applicants to Chaminade’s Bachelor of Science degrees (BS) in Biology, Environmental Studies or Data Science, Analytics, and Visualization must submit an online application to be considered for the $10,000 scholarship. The scholarship is renewable if the recipient maintains satisfactory academic progress and submits the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually at www.fafsa.gov. Applications are available annually on the university's website.

Donor Funded Merit and Need-Based Scholarships

Donor-funded endowed and restricted scholarships range in value and are awarded to eligible degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to the student’s academic profile, other criteria for receiving a donor-funded scholarship may vary based on the wishes of the individual donor. Scholarships are awarded on a year-to-year basis based on funding and the recipient's continued eligibility. Recipients of a need-based donor scholarship must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually. Applications are available annually on the university's website.

Athletic Scholarships - NCAA Division II Sports

Scholarships are available for the following NCAA II Sports and are awarded by the respective coach of each team:

• Basketball: Men’s and Women’s
• Soccer: Men’s and Women’s
• Cross Country: Men’s and Women’s
• Volleyball: Women’s
• Softball: Women’s
• Tennis: Women’s
• Golf: Men’s