HLTA Scholarship Opportunities

Education is so critical to the success of our industry, our community, and our society that it garners a featured position among our organization's three pillars: Education, Advocacy, and Philanthropy.

Education has taken on many forms for HLTA which include providing needed information to our members, industry stakeholders, local policymakers, government officials, and the greater community. However, perhaps most important among the functions of this pillar is its natural connection to our philanthropic efforts. Marrying these core initiatives, HLTA has always striven to provide scholarships to local students to pursue their academic goals. Despite the setbacks of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to announce that this tradition of giving will continue with the following scholarship opportunities that have been made possible through HLTA, the Hawai'i Hotel Industry Foundation, and other community partners. You will notice that while some of the scholarships are recurring, we have added to the amounts previously given to some and have also introduced some new scholarship awards! ​

Completed applications and any scholarship-related questions should be emailed to HLTA Director of Fiscal Services who can be reached at jcaires@hawaiilodging.org.
*For students interested in applying for citizen scholar, please contact your high school senior counselor for an application.

HLTA Member Scholarship 
DEADLINE: May 26 COB
$5,000 Scholarship
Originally incorporated in 1947 as the Hawaii Hotel Association with just 16 hotels in its portfolio, HLTA has grown to include 700 members including more than 150 lodging properties representing more than 50,500 rooms. HLTA’s President & CEO Mufi Hannemann announced at the 2016 General Membership Meeting that several new scholarships would be established in recognition of HLTA's 70th Anniversary, including a scholarship for an Active or an Allied member's immediate relative. 

To apply for this scholarship, candidates must send applications to their HLTA member (please direct employees to the appropriate person/department). Candidates must be a graduating high school senior who has been admitted to a university, college or vocational institution. Each HLTA member company or property must vet candidates and submit up to two (2) qualified applicants. Click here for application

HLTA 2021 Member Scholarship Awardee Jachob Dolak. Jachob was one of three recipients of this scholarship in 2021.

Citizen-Scholar Awards
$1,000 Scholarship to each Scholar
$5,000 Additional Scholarship to the top male and female Scholar
$2,500 Additional Scholar to the top Scholar in each county
For the past 19 years, the Hawai`i Lodging &  Tourism Association, the Hawai'i State Department of Education, and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser have honored one outstanding senior from every public high school around the state who best exemplifies citizenship in school and the community. Each of these students have given back to make our state a better place and embody the Department of Education's Vision of a Public School Graduate. An additional $2,500 scholarship is awarded to a top senior from each county and two $5,000 scholarships for the top overall male and female Citizen-Scholars.

For this particular scholarship, the recipients are selected by the Department of Educations and their respective schools. We are always looking for HLTA members and organizations who are interested in sponsoring a Citizen Scholar. If you are a student interested in Citizen Scholar click the link below for Citizen Scholar requirements, and contact your high school senior counselor for an application. If you are an organization interested in being a sponsor for Citizen Scholar, please contact Jessica jcaires@hawaiilodging.org .

Please click here for more information.

 HLTA Women in Lodging & Tourism Scholarship
$1,000 Scholarship May 20 COB
Presented by HLTA's Women in Lodging & Tourism Committee, this scholarship is designed to promote hospitality, tourism and culinary arts as a career and profession in Hawaiʻi. The scholarship provides financial assistance, along with industry mentorship provided by Women in Lodging & Tourism, to students who are currently attending an accredited college or university and pursuing a career in the field of hospitality, tourism and culinary arts. Students must be a resident of Hawai'i, enrolled in an accredited university or college, and maintain a 3.0 GPA. Click here to download application

HLTA Culinary Scholarship
$2,000 Scholarship April 29 COB
Presented by HLTA’s Restaurant, Food & Beverage, and Agriculture (RFBA) committee, the HLTA Culinary Scholarship awards a 1-year, $2,000 scholarship to a Hawai‘i high school graduate. Candidates must be a graduating high school senior and admitted to a 2-year culinary school in Hawai‘i. Applications are reviewed by the RFBA Scholarship Selection Committee, which includes HLTA staff, and the scholarship will be awarded to a student who demonstrates a high level of academic achievement and leadership and expresses an interest in pursuing a culinary education and career. Click here for application

​Clem Judd Jr. Memorial Scholarship
$2,000 Scholarship April 29 COB
Applicant must be: a Hawai'i resident; of Hawaiian ancestry; enrolled full-time at an accredited university/college in the United States majoring in hotel/lodging management; and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Up to two students will be awarded scholarships. Click here for application

R.W. Bob Holden Memorial Scholarship
$2,000 Scholarship April 29 COB
Applicant must be: a Hawai'i resident; enrolled full-time at an accredited university/college in the United States; majoring in hotel/lodging management; and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. One deserving student will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship. Click here for application

A Scholarship for Educators
HLTA/ClimbHI Educator Award
$1,000 Scholarship
Offered in partnership with ClimbHI, this scholarship will enable local educators to experience Hawai'i's tourism industry in order to better contextualize the depth and breadth of our industry's offerings. Included with this scholarship is a mentorship program with a member of HLTA's Women in Lodging & Tourism committee. Expenses must be approved by the scholarships committee but will be flexible enough to allow awardees to customize experiences that match their interests and focuses.

In 2021, HLTA partnered with ClimbHI to offer its first scholarship specifically for educators. Recipients of the inaugural scholarship were Wai'anae High School's Alyssa Alcos and West Hawai'i District Resource Teacher for Career & Technical Education programs Fern White.

A ​Scholarship for Professionals
Engineer's Advisory Council Scholarship
$1,000 Scholarship
Scholarships shall be available to all eligible engineering personnel, technicians, administrators, managers, and supervisors that are current members of the HLTA Engineers Advisory Council in good standing and have at least 3 years’ experience in the hotel engineering field. Scholarship funds will be paid directly to the institute (i.e. college, trade/tech school, or program) of the selected and awarded candidate.

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