$3M Gifted to UH-Hilo by Anonymous Donor

An anonymous donor recently gifted the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo the largest scholarship endowment in the history of the school.

The $3 million gift will provide three scholarships for students at UH Hilo, including the first-ever endowed scholarship that specifically supports students in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

The Kruschel LGBTQ+ Endowed Scholarship for students who identify as LGBTQ+ is a first for the UH System and UH Hilo, which is one of the most diverse universities in the nation, school officials stated in a press release Tuesday.

The Kruschel First-Generation Endowed Scholarship gives preference to students who are the first in their families to attend college, while the Kruschel Endowed Scholarship is open to all full-time undergraduates or graduate students who graduated from a Hawaiʻi Island high school.

“It’s exciting to see these students celebrated and supported with scholarships that will open new opportunities for them,” said UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin. “Our university is stronger when all students have the tools and the resources they need to reach their full potential.”

The scholarships cover costs associated with attending school and have no limitations on what recipients may study, only that they be enrolled full-time to pursue a degree at UH Hilo. Students will receive the funds starting with the 2022-23 school year.