HONOLULU – The Hawaii Tourism Authority and Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association recently announced the introduction of the Ho’oilina Scholarships for students pursuing degrees in the tourism, hospitality or culinary fields.

The Ho’oilina (“legacy” in Hawaiian) Scholarships will be jointly funded by the two organizations and administered by HLTA.

The scholarships are open exclusively to Hawaii public high school graduates who are planning to pursue degrees in tourism-related fields.

Five 4-year scholarships of $12,000 per student per year ($48,000 total) will be awarded to students admitted to the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s School of Travel Industry Management or the hospitality programs at Brigham Young University Hawaii or Hawaii Pacific University.

Ten 2-year scholarships of $12,000 per student per year ($24,000 total) will be awarded to U.H. Community College students participating in Hawaii Promise and who are transferring into the UH TIM School.

The awards will be allocated among the community college campuses: two for Oahu, two for Maui County, two for Kauai County, two for Hawaii Island and two for students from any island.

Chris Tatum, HTA president and CEO, said, “The Hawaii Tourism Authority is very pleased to partner with the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association to introduce a program we believe is vital to the future of tourism in the islands. Encouraging and supporting our exceptional public high school students in their college studies will develop future generations of island leaders and bring fresh ideas and perspectives to better enable us to compete in a global marketplace.”

Mufi Hannemann, HLTA president and CEO, said, “As a long-time proponent of public-private partnerships, I can’t think of a better way for government and business to collaborate than in supporting the educations of our young people. The HLTA already offers nearly 60 scholarships for high school and college students, including many for hospitality students, but this is truly groundbreaking in monetary terms and for the future of our young people and the visitor industry. Kudos to Chris Tatum and the HTA team for their spirit of cooperation.”

Applicants will be selected based on grade point average, leadership skills, volunteer service and internship experience. Recipients must enroll in Olelo Hawaiian language and culture classes.

The Ho’oilina Scholarship recipient selection committee will be co-chaired by Tatum and Hannemann. Members will include leaders from across the state in the fields of hospitality, culinary arts and education, as well as labor representatives and Hawaiian culture specialists.

Applications are now available on the HLTA website at www.hawaiilodging.org/scholarship-opportunities.html and are due at noon on Tuesday, April 9.