The Native Hawaiian Exemption tuition status allows in-state tuition for those who are of Native Hawaiian race/ethnicity/ancestry/descent. Birthplace or birth state listing Hawaii is not considered for this Exemption.
To be reviewed for the Native Hawaiian Exemption tuition status, please answer the following:
- Is Native Hawaiian race/ethnicity/ancestry/descent documented on your birth certificate?
- Yes - Email a copy of your birth certificate to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review.
- No - Go to Question 2.
- What are my options if Native Hawaiian race/ethnicity/ancestry/descent is not documented on my birth certificate?
- Option 1 - In addition to your birth certificate, you will need to provide birth certificate(s) of your parent’s, grandparent’s, and so on until a birth certificate documents Native Hawaiian race/ethnicity/ancestry/descent. Death certificates can be used as a substitute for birth certificates. Email all certificates to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review.
- Option 2 - An Office of Native Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) card can be used as proof of Native Hawaiian race/ethnicity/ancestry/descent. Email a copy of the front and back of your OHA card to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review.
- Option 3 - A Kamehameha Schools Ho’oulu Verification Services confirmation letter can be used as proof of Native Hawaiian race/ethnicity/ancestry/descent. Email a copy of your confirmation letter to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review
The Active Duty Military Exemption tuition status allows US Title 10 active duty service members and their authorized dependents to pay the in-state tuition rate based on the service member’s rotation here in Hawaii. The service member’s report date on the orders must be before or within the semester to be eligible for the Active Duty Military Exemption tuition status for that semester. A student is ineligible for the Active Duty Military Exemption tuition status if the service member's rotation in Hawaii ends before the start of enrollment at the University of Hawaii. A student with the Active Duty Military Exemption tuition status is able to keep this tuition status as long as he/she is a continuing student with no breaks in attendance. If there is a break in attendance, the service member's rotation in Hawaii will be verified again.
To be reviewed for the Active Duty Military Exemption tuition status, please answer the following:
- I am a US Title 10 active duty service member who is currently or will be stationed in Hawaii.
- Yes - Email a copy of your orders to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review. If you have extended your rotation period, also provide a copy of any documentation that shows the new end of rotation/PRD/DEROS date.
- No - (I am a spouse/child of the service member) Go to Statement 2.
- I am a spouse of a US Title 10 active duty service member who is currently or will be stationed in Hawaii.
- Yes - Email a copy of the service member’s orders to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review. If your name is not on the orders, also email a copy of your military ID card or marriage certificate as proof of authorized dependentship. If the service member has extended his/her rotation period, also provide a copy of any documentation that shows the new end of rotation/PRD/DEROS date.
- No - (I am a child of the service member) Go to Statement 3.
- I am a child of a US Title 10 active duty service member who is currently or will be stationed in Hawaii.
- Yes - Email a copy of the service member’s orders to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review. If your name is not on the orders, also email a copy of your military ID card or a copy of any official military document as proof of current authorized dependentship. If the service member has extended his/her rotation period, also provide a copy of any documentation that shows the new end of rotation/PRD/DEROS date.
If you live in Hawaii and are using VA education benefits for the following categories, you are eligible to pay the in-state tuition rate:
- Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30)
- Veteran Readiness & Employment (Chapter 31)
- Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)
- Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 35)
- Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
To access your VA educational benefits and/or change your tuition status to the in-state tuition rate, please contact the School Certifying Officials at the Admissions and Records Office at arkauai@hawaii.edu or (808) 245-8225.
Hawaii-based Guard/Reservists are allowed to pay the in-state tuition rate during their obligation period in Hawaii. If you are on Active Guard Reserve (AGR) status, please follow the process for the Active Duty Military Exemption tuition status.
To be reviewed for the Hawaii Based Guard/Reserve Exemption tuition status, email one of the following to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review:
- Enlistment contract to a Hawaii-based Guard or Reserve unit
- Transfer paperwork to a Hawaii-based Guard or Reserve unit
- Orders to a Hawaii-based Guard or Reserve unit
**Spouses/dependents are not eligible for this Exemption. To be eligible for the Exemption for a given semester, your approval date/contract effective date/transfer date must be before or within the semester to be eligible for the Guard/Reserve Exemption tuition status for that semester. A student with the Guard/Reserve Exemption tuition status is able to keep this tuition status as long as he/she is a continuing student with no breaks in attendance. If there is a break in attendance, the enlistment contract with the Hawaii-based Guard/Reserve unit will be verified again.
The Pacific Institutional Exemption tuition status allows citizens of an eligible Pacific island, district, commonwealth, territory or insular jurisdiction, state, or nation which has no public institution of higher education granting baccalaureate degrees to pay 1.5 times the resident tuition rate. See the list below for eligibility and documents required as proof. Email documents to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review:
- American Samoa
- US passport endorsed as "US National (not US Citizen)" listing American Samoa as birthplace OR
- American Samoa birth certificate OR
- American Samoa high school transcript (must also be a US Citizen, US National, or US Permanent Resident)
- Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas
- Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas birth certificate OR
- Commonwealth of Northern Marianas high school transcript (must also be a US Citizen, US National, or US Permanent Resident)
- Cook Islands
- Cook Islands passport
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Federated States of Micronesia passport or birth certificate
- Futuna
- Futuna passport
- Kiribati
- Kiribati passport
- Nauru
- Nauru passport
- Niue
- Niue passport
- Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
- Rapa Nui passport
- Republic of Palau
- Republic of Palau passport or birth certificate
- Republic of the Marshall Islands
- Republic of the Marshall Islands passport or birth certificate
- Solomon Islands
- Solomon Islands passport
- Tokelau
- Tokelau passport
- Tonga
- Tonga passport
- Tuvalu
- Tuvalu passport
- Vanuatu
- Vanuatu passport
- Wallis
- Wallis passport
The Faculty/Staff Exemption tuition status allows in-state tuition for faculty and staff members (and their dependents) who are 100% Full Time Employees (FTE) in the University of Hawaii System and in a bargaining unit that has this provision written into their contract. Currently, RCUH employees are not eligible for this tuition status.
To be reviewed for the Faculty/Staff Exemption tuition status, please answer the following:
- I am a full time faculty/staff member employed at the University of Hawaii.
- Yes - Email a copy of your Payroll Notification Form (PNF)/employment contract to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review.
- No (I am a spouse or dependent of a full time faculty/staff member) - Go to Question 2.
- I am a spouse or dependent of a full time faculty/staff member.
In addition to the full time faculty/staff member’s Payroll Notification Form (PNF)/employment contract, email a copy of your marriage certificate or birth certificate as proof of your relationship with the faculty/staff member to arkauai@hawaii.edu for review.
If you live in Hawaii and are using VA education benefits for the following categories, you are eligible to pay the in-state tuition rate:
- Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30)
- Veteran Readiness & Employment (Chapter 31)
- Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)
- Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 35)
- Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
To access your VA educational benefits and/or change your tuition status to the in-state tuition rate, please contact the School Certifying Officials at the Admissions and Records Office at arkauai@hawaii.edu or (808) 245-8225.