Award Offer Information and Policies

What you need to know about your financial aid award

Your financial aid award is for the University of Hawaii at Manoa and is not transferable to another institution.   Your financial aid award is based on full-time enrollment (12 credits for undergraduates, 8 credits for graduates, and 12 or more credits for professional students).  If you are not enrolled full-time, you must notify our office immediately in writing to prevent an overpayment award.

Your award offer is valid for 30 days.  Your award will be cancelled if you do not accept or decline your award offer within this time frame.  If your aid is cancelled, you may request to have your aid reinstated.  Please be aware that some funds may no longer be available (i.e. Federal Work Study, Manoa Opportunity Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, Perkins Loan, etc.)

You must apply for financial aid annually. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov in January.  March 1 is the priority date for all documents to be received by FAS.

All information contained below may be subject to change.  Please check your MyUH account, your hawaii.edu e-mail, and the financial aid website (www.hawaii.edu/fas) regularly for important information and announcements.

 OTHER FINANCIAL RESOURCES: If you receive any other form of financial assistance in addition to those shown on your Award Offer (e.g., Kamehameha/Hawai`i Community Foundation/UH Foundation scholarships, University departmental tuition waivers, increased Veterans or welfare benefits, etc.), you must notify FAS immediately.  As required by federal regulations, an adjustment to your award(s) may be necessary to reflect the increase of your resources.  Failure to notify FAS may delay your financial aid disbursement and/or may require you to repay the university.

 CREDIT LOAD: Your financial aid award will be based on full time enrollment (12 credits for undergraduates, 8 credits for graduates, 12 or more credits for professional students).  Your financial aid disbursement will be pro-rated based on your enrollment.

 If you will be concurrently enrolled at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa and at one of the Community Colleges, you must be enrolled for at least 6 credits at UH-Mānoa in order to be eligible for financial aid.  If you want your Community College courses to be counted toward your UH-Mānoa enrollment, you must complete the 2009-2010 Community College Enrollment Form.  

 OVERAWARDS:  An “overaward” situation may result if funds have already been disbursed and one or more of the following occurs:

1)       You receive additional resources (if not already accounted for in original award offer)

2)       Your residency status changes

3)       Your living situation changes

4)       Your enrollment is below full time (12 credits for undergraduates, 8 credits for graduates, 12 or more credits for professional students)

5)       Verification information changes your expected family contribution (EFC)

 Repayment may be required, and/or adjustments may be made to other types of aid and/or future disbursements within the academic year.  Please note that you will not be eligible for future financial assistance until repayment is made.

 ACADEMIC STATUS: All students receiving financial aid are expected to make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree.  To remain eligible for financial assistance, you must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative Grade Point Average for undergraduates or as required by your department and a 3.0 cumulative Grade Point Average for graduates or as required by your department, complete 75% of your attempted courses, and complete your degree program within the time frame allowed.

 NAME/TELEPHONE/MAILING ADDRESS/REFUND ADDRESS CHANGES: Please update your information on your MyUH account or at Admissions and Records QLCSS 001.

 CANCELLATION OF REGISTRATION/FINANCIAL AID:  If you will not be attending UH-Mānoa, please cancel your registration via the MyUH portal.  It is also your responsibility to notify Financial Aid Service, so that your awards can be cancelled.

Complete Withdrawal Policy  

The University of Hawaii Federal Regulations requires a “Return of Title IV Funds” for all students who are receiving federal financial aid and who process a complete withdrawal on or before 60% of the semester has elapsed.  You may be required to repay a portion or all of the financial aid you received.  

 The portion of the Financial Aid you are eligible for is determined on a percentage basis by calculating the total number of days attended divided by the number of days in the semester.   The date of your withdrawal will determine the amount of your earned aid for the semester (# of days completed divided by # of days in the semester).

 For example, if you completed 10% of the semester, you earned 10% of the financial aid that was paid to you. This means that 90% of your awards remains unearned and must be returned to the DOE. Therefore, you will be required to repay the University for the amount of unearned aid paid to you.    

Please note: the amount of any tuition/fees refund will be applied to the amount of unearned aid that must be returned. 

The University of Hawaii at Manoa , Financial Aid Services will hold you responsible for the entire amount of unearned aid.  Until this overpayment is cleared, a Financial Obligation will be placed on your student account, and you will not be able to receive any services from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa or enroll at any other institution in the University of Hawai`i system.

FINANCIAL AID DISBURSEMENT PROCEDURES

If you have returned your signed award letter to FAS or accepted your awards online via your MyUH Portal account, and completed and processed all required documents (please check your MyUH portal), these are the financial aid disbursement procedures.    Please ensure that your refund/mailing address is updated through MyUH Portal or at the Admissions & Records office.  These procedures are subject to change.

*Please note:  Financial aid awards are based on full time enrollment.  If you are not going to be enrolled full time (12 credits for Undergraduates, 8 credits for Graduates) you must notify us in writing immediately. 

Awarded:

Federal Pell Grant

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

HI B Plus Scholarship

HI Second Century Scholarship

Manoa Opportunity Grant

Hawai`i Student Incentive Grant (HSIG)

Federal Perkins Loan

State Higher Education Loan (SHEL)

Subsidized Stafford Loan

Unsubsidized Stafford Loan

Parent Plus Loan

The Cashier’s Office will apply your financial aid towards your UHM Tuition, Fees and Student Housing charges 10 days prior to the start of the semester, and all refunds will be mailed to you or directly deposited into your bank account if you signed up for e-refund on your MyUH Portal account. 

 *If you made a payment by credit card, the account originally charged will be credited for the amount of refund due to you.

 *If you made a payment by cash or check, any residual financial aid monies will be mailed or deposited into your bank account in about two weeks from the disbursement of your financial aid.  Please update your refund/mailing address through MyUH (http://myuhportal.hawaii.edu) or at Admission and Records QLCSS 001.  Failure to update your refund/mailing address may delay the delivery of your refund check. 

 *For recipients of the Perkins, SHEL, Staffords, and Grad Plus loans, an entrance interview must be completed and a promissory note signed before your loan is processed.  The Perkins and SHEL entrance interview packets are mailed to you.  Please update your mailing address through MyUH Portal.  The Staffords and Grad Plus entrance interviews are online at:  www.opennet.salliemae.com.

If you will be receiving a scholarship check from an outside donor (e.g., Hawai`i Community Foundation/Harriet Bouslog/Unity House) and the scholarship is made payable to the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa only, your scholarship will be applied towards your UHM Tuition, Fees and Student Housing charges and all residual amounts will be mailed to your refund/mailing address within two weeks.  Failure to update your refund/mailing address may delay the delivery of your refund check.

  If your scholarship check is a co-payable check made out to you and the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa (e.g.,Kamehameha Schools) you may either endorse the scholarship at the Cashier’s Office and apply it towards your UHM Tuition, Fees and Student Housing charges or if your tuition and fees have already been paid, the Cashier’s Office will release the scholarship to you.

Financial Aid Services

(808) 956-7251