Free college? Hawaii offers big scholarship for students going into tourism

Hawaii opens scholarship for tourism students

Hawaii wants more local students to lead its biggest industry.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) is now accepting applications for the Ho’oilina Scholarship, a four-year award worth about $12,000 a year toward tuition.

Recipients will earn a Bachelor of Science in travel industry management at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Shidler College of Business.

The deadline to apply is March 1, 2026, and HTA will name five winners in April.

Public high school seniors can apply

The scholarship targets Hawaii public high school seniors graduating in 2026. Applicants must get accepted to UH Manoa and declare a major in travel industry management.

The selection committee weighs academic achievement, leadership, and community service. But grades alone won’t cut it.

Students also need to show they’re serious about building a career in Hawaii’s visitor industry, not just collecting a free degree.

Tuition support lasts all four years

The award covers about $12,000 per year in tuition costs, and the funding keeps coming for all four years as long as recipients stay on track. That’s a big deal for local families.

Since 2019, HTA says it has put more than $1 million into tuition help through this program. The money is real, but so are the expectations that come with it.

Students must keep a 3.0 GPA

This isn’t a scholarship you can coast through. Recipients must stay enrolled full-time in the travel industry management program for all four years.

They also need to hold a 3.0 cumulative grade point average the entire time. Drop below that, and the funding stops.

HTA designed the program to reward students who stay committed, not just those who show promise at the start.

Hawaiian culture courses are required

The scholarship builds Hawaiian values right into the coursework. Scholars must complete four Hawaiian culture courses during their time at UH Manoa.

They also need to finish at least one upper-level destination management and stewardship course. The idea is straightforward: future tourism leaders should understand and respect the culture they’re representing.

Hawaii doesn’t just want managers. It wants leaders who know the land and its people.

Students give back through service

Recipients commit to 200 hours of community service over the four years. On top of that, they complete a 200-hour internship in the visitor industry.

That’s a lot of hands-on time outside the classroom. The requirements tie what students learn in their courses to real work in Hawaii’s tourism sector.

By graduation, scholars will have built a resume that goes well beyond textbook knowledge.

Four partners launched the program in 2019

The Ho’oilina Scholarship came together in 2019 through a partnership among HTA, the Hawaii State Legislature, UH Manoa, and the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association. The state legislature provides the funding.

The goal from the start has been to grow a local workforce for Hawaii’s visitor industry. Rather than relying on workers from the mainland, the program invests in students who already call the islands home.

Hawaii wants locals leading its top industry

Tourism sits at the heart of Hawaii’s economy, and HTA wants the people running it to be from Hawaii. The scholarship aims to keep homegrown talent on the islands instead of watching graduates leave for the mainland.

HTA has called the program an investment in workers who will keep the industry rooted in Hawaiian values. It’s a long-term bet on the idea that local leadership makes for better tourism.

The number of awards changes each year

Five scholarships will go out in 2026, but the number isn’t fixed. The 2025 group received seven awards.

How many students get picked each year depends on funding and the strength of the applicant pool. That means a strong application year could see more awards, or a tight budget could mean fewer.

Either way, the competition is real.

HTA runs other programs for young workers

The scholarship is just one piece of HTA’s push to build Hawaii’s tourism workforce.

HTA also backs the LEI program, a statewide event that connects about 1,000 teens with tourism industry leaders each year. A local nonprofit called ClimbHI runs that program.

In 2024, HTA launched Work Wise, a newer effort aimed at recent high school graduates and students aged 16 to 18 who want part-time or seasonal tourism jobs.

Applications close March 1

Students apply online through the Shidler College of Business website. The deadline is March 1, 2026, and HTA will announce the five recipients in April.

Don’t wait until the last week.

The application asks for more than just transcripts, so give yourself time to put it together right.

More than tuition money is on the table

The Ho’oilina Scholarship goes beyond paying for school.

Recipients get mentoring, networking, and hands-on learning alongside tourism and hospitality professionals.

For Hawaii high school seniors who care about travel and tourism, this is a path to a leadership career in the state’s largest industry. The program doesn’t just open a door.

It sets students up to walk through it ready to lead.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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