USA Scholarships
Chuck Makanui Jr Scholarship 2027 - Art & Music
The Charles "Chuck" Makanui, Jr. Scholarship is a Pauahi Foundation endowed fund for one student each year who is serious about art or music. You must be a graduating senior or graduate of a public high school, enrolled at least half time as a classified student in a post-high program, and majoring in art or music. Pauahi asks for documented financial need, a hardship essay, tax and W-2 paperwork, and proof of commitment through a hard-copy art portfolio or an emailed link to a musical performance video. Portfolio work must not show your name; label pieces with your KAPF ID instead. Residents of Hawaiʻi Island get special consideration, and the foundation may give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry as permitted by law. Select this scholarship in the 2027-2028 postsecondary application opening October 1, 2026 and closing December 1, 2026.
What is the Charles "Chuck" Makanui, Jr. Scholarship?
The Charles "Chuck" Makanui, Jr. Scholarship remembers a donor who wanted public school graduates with creative drive to keep studying art or music without pretending money is no object. Pauahi Foundation runs the fund today as one annual award, and the bar is specific: you come from a public high school, you major in art or music, and you show need with paperwork and a honest hardship essay.
Creativity is part of the application, not a footnote. Artists mail portfolios or share curated online galleries; musicians send performance links. Pauahi is strict about anonymity on visual work, so swap your name for your KAPF ID before reviewers ever see the pieces. That rule catches rushed applicants every year.
Geography tilts toward Hawaiʻi Island, yet mainland students and other Hawaiʻi residents still compete if they hit the public school and major gates. Pauahi may also weigh Hawaiian ancestry when the law allows. Block out October 1 through December 1, 2026 for the 2027-2028 portal window, stack this fund with other Pauahi selections in one login, and keep [email protected] handy if a reviewer asks for a missing tax form or portfolio receipt.
Eligibility
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✓Public high school senior or graduateYou must be a graduating senior from a public high school or already a graduate of a public high school when you apply through Pauahi Foundation.
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✓Art or music majorYour degree program must be in art or music at an accredited post-high institution. The fund supports associate, bachelor's, or graduate study tied to those fields.
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✓Half-time or full-time enrollmentRecipients may enroll part time as a classified student or study full time. Pauahi lists both enrollment loads as eligible for this memorial scholarship.
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✓Demonstrated financial needYou must document need through Pauahi's Student and Parent Form plus applicable W-2s and federal tax returns for the tax year the application specifies.
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✓Creative work sampleArt applicants mail a hard-copy portfolio or email an online portfolio URL. Music applicants email a performance video URL. Work must not include your name; use your KAPF ID on pieces instead.
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✓Geographic preferenceApplicants who live on Hawaiʻi Island receive preference in review. Students in other parts of Hawaiʻi and on the U.S. continent remain eligible if they meet the public school and major requirements.
Benefits
- Number of scholarships One recipient per cycle
- Award use Postsecondary costs per Pauahi need-based policy
- Part-time study Half-time classified enrollment allowed
- Combined Pauahi applications Select multiple funds in one login
- Published dollar cap Varies with fund income and verified need
- Private high school graduates Not eligible (public school requirement)
Document checklist
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✓Pauahi Foundation online applicationCreate or reuse your account when the 2027-2028 cycle opens October 1, 2026. Select the Charles "Chuck" Makanui, Jr. Scholarship before you submit.
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✓Financial hardship essayAnswer Pauahi's prompt on financial circumstances or hardships you have faced, including how challenges affected your education and what resources helped you cope.
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✓Student and Parent Form plus tax recordsUpload Pauahi's financial worksheet with applicable W-2s and the federal income tax return (1040 series) for the tax year listed in the live checklist.
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✓Art portfolio or music performance linkMail a hard-copy portfolio to Pauahi Foundation or email a URL to your online portfolio or musical performance video. Remove your name from artwork and use your KAPF ID; portfolios with identifying marks are disqualified.
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✓Most recent school transcriptProvide an official or unofficial transcript through the unified application so reviewers can confirm enrollment and major.
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✓Community service or activitiesDocument extracurricular involvement or community service in the application profile, matching Pauahi's standard postsecondary expectations.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the Charles "Chuck" Makanui, Jr. Scholarship?
It is a Pauahi Foundation memorial fund that awards one need-based scholarship annually to a public high school senior or graduate pursuing art or music. Reviewers weigh financial need, a hardship essay, and a portfolio or musical performance sample.
Who can apply for the Chuck Makanui Jr Scholarship?
Graduating seniors or graduates of public high schools who major in art or music at an accredited post-high program may apply. You can study half time or full time in Hawaiʻi or on the U.S. continent, with preference for Hawaiʻi Island residents.
When is the Chuck Makanui Jr Scholarship deadline for 2027?
Pauahi Foundation opens the 2027-2028 postsecondary application on October 1, 2026 and closes it on December 1, 2026. Portfolios and required uploads must meet Pauahi instructions by that deadline.
What do art applicants submit for the Makanui Scholarship?
Mail a hard-copy art portfolio to Pauahi Foundation or email a URL to an online portfolio. Do not put your name on the artwork; use your KAPF ID instead. Portfolios with identifying marks are not considered.
What do music applicants submit for the Makanui Scholarship?
Email a URL to a video of your musical performance to Pauahi Foundation as listed in the scholarship guidebook. Follow the same anonymity rules if the video shows identifying information tied to portfolio-style requirements.
Does the Makanui Scholarship require financial need?
Yes. You must demonstrate financial need through Pauahi's Student and Parent Form, W-2s, and federal tax returns, plus the hardship essay on circumstances you have faced.
Do Hawaiʻi Island residents get preference for the Makanui Scholarship?
Yes. Pauahi's listing states preference for applicants who are residents of Hawaiʻi Island. Mainland and other Hawaiʻi residents may still apply if they meet the public school, major, and need criteria.
Can I apply for other Pauahi scholarships with the same application?
Yes. Pauahi allows you to select every fund you qualify for within one postsecondary application. Add Makanui alongside other scholarships and upload documents that satisfy the strictest requirement among your choices.
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