Lau Maiʻa
Scholarship
About the Scholarship
The Lau Maiʻa Scholarship supports graduating high school seniors who are curious, thoughtful, and motivated by more than just personal success. We’re excited by students who tinker, ask questions, notice problems around them, and try to make things better even when the outcome isn’t perfect.
Lau Maiʻa is for students who care deeply about ʻāina, kaiāulu, or lāhui and think about who their skills are meant to serve. We value clarity over polish, growth over perfection, and community responsibility over individual achievement.
Inspired by references found in 19th-century nūpepa ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, lau maiʻa (banana leaves) symbolize nourishment, growth, and protection. Historically used as lāʻau lapaʻau to encase the body and support healing, lau maiʻa reflects our hope that this scholarship provides both practical support and encouragement as students grow into community-serving leaders.
Established by the Purple Maiʻa Foundation, a Hawaiʻi-based education technology nonprofit, the Lau Maiʻa Scholarship supports students pursuing post-secondary pathways in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Mathematics, or science-related fields at a 2-year or 4-year college or university in the United States.
The $1,000 Lau Maiʻa Scholarship is intended to help ease the burden of tuition and support students as they continue their learning journey.
If you are, or know, a student who learns by doing, shows follow-through, and brings care for people and place into their work, we encourage you to apply.
Important Dates
Application Opens: January 23, 2026
Application Closes: May 15, 2026
Service Commitment
Recipients commit to completing 40 hours of volunteer service during the summer following their first year of college (Summer 2027). Service may be completed in person or remotely with a community-serving organization, and should reflect care for ʻāina, kaiāulu, or lāhui.
This service is viewed not as a requirement to “check off,” but as an opportunity to apply learning in service of real people and communities.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify, applicants must:
Be a current high school senior
Plan to enroll in a 2-year or 4-year college or university
Intend to pursue a degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Mathematics, or a science-related field
Commit to completing 40 hours of volunteer service during the summer following their freshman year
Demonstrate a record of community involvement or efforts to uplift ʻāina, kaiāulu, or lāhui (formal or informal)