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The financial aid program at Chaminade University is comprised of funding from these sources:
Our annual awards exceed $20,000,000. Of these sources, the majority share of funding, 60%, comes from the federal government. Institutional programs, in the form of various grants and scholarships, constitute about 21%. The remaining 14% comes from aid assistance external to Chaminade, such as outside scholarships and state loan programs.
While no one is “required” to file for financial aid, if you are interested in attending Chaminade, you are strongly advised to complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as the FAFSA.
» Filing a FAFSA - undergraduate
» Filing a FAFSA - graduate or adult learner
By filing this one form, you will be applying for all federal forms of assistance, as well as many institutional and external sources of aid.
Chaminade University is a participant in all of the major federal student aid programs.
Close to $15,000,000 in federal dollars is expended for our students and this amount will continue to grow as Chaminade’s enrollment is projected to climb through the ensuing years.The federal financial aid programs were designed to help “you.” Its existence has literally assisted millions of Americans gain the college education they desired when, without such support, they wouldn't’t have stood a chance.
The words of advice we have to share with you are as follows: “Apply! And apply right now! It costs you nothing but a bit of time and effort. You won’t know what you’re eligible for unless you try, and if you do, we promise to work out the very best financial aid offer that we possibly can, and make your attendance at Chaminade a reality!”
Chaminade University also invests very heavily towards its own student body. Over $5,000,000 in institutional grants and scholarships is provided to eligible Chaminade day students annually and this amount is growing every year! These grants and scholarships come in both need and merit forms of assistance and is usually automatically renewed provided the student is making satisfactory academic progress towards a degree.
Of the many forms of institutional aid, the most prevalent is the “Hawaii Grant,” valued at $3000 per year, which is given to every day student who is a graduate of either a Hawaii based high school or community college. Chaminade invests so much of its own institutional resources towards assisting its students that we've even coined a phrase. It goes like this: “Don’t judge Chaminade by what we charge, judge us by what you eventually pay…there is a difference!”
This means that you should always pay attention to what it will actually cost you to attend Chaminade “after” you receive your financial aid offer. Because if you do, you'll find that after all of your institutional grants and scholarships are taken into account, what you actually “pay” out of your own pocket will be a lot less. For example, for the 2007-2008 academic year, we are projecting that the “average” day student will receive around $5200 worth of institutional aid (note: certain students may even qualify for as much as $9000 in institutional aid).
These are funds that are “beyond” what the student will also qualify for in terms of federal aid. Hence, when you combine the commitment provided by Chaminade with the other forms of assistance that you should automatically apply for as well, it is our contention that your eventual, “real” costs will prove Chaminade to be as financially competitive as any four-year private institution out there.
Of the total aid received by Chaminade students, over $2,000,000 comes from students “bringing” with them various grants, scholarships and loans that they applied for and received through external agencies or organizations. The point to keep in mind with respect to external programs is that while your search for financial assistance should always “include” filing for financial aid through our office, it should never “exclude” any other opportunity you may come across or choose to seek out.
Do the necessary research in the libraries, over the net, and through “word of mouth” to find those “pockets” of scholarship opportunities that will enable you to secure $200, $500, $1000, $2000, or even $10,000 a year in outside scholarships with which you can then “bring with you” when you come to Chaminade.Good luck!
However, with respect to your eventual successes in the outside scholarship search process, please keep in mind a few, cold and hard facts when it comes to reconciling your outside forms of assistance with what we eventually provide you from federal and institutional forms of aid.
One, as is the case at any college or university, we will have to reduce your award offer by the amount you receive through your outside source.
But two, and most importantly, our motto for treating that scholarship which you worked so hard to get, is this: “We will take back your worst aid first!” In other words, we'll take back our loan recommendations and (if we have to) any work opportunities, and will “not” reduce any of our grants or scholarships; if you bring with you…your scholarship.
Unless of course the amount of your outside scholarship is so great that after taking back all of our loan and work funds we still “must” take back some of your aid. This, however, is a very rare situation. One that is certainly a wonderful problem to have if you eventually find yourself in such a scenario.
If you have any questions, you may e-mail our office at: finaid@chaminade.edu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Financial Aid Office
3140 Waialae Avenue
Freitas Hall-Room 11
Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
Phone: (808) 735-4780
Fax: (808) 739-8362
Office Hours: M-F 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
