2025-2026 Scholarship Program
and Invitation to Apply for Pre-School Tuition
Like many states, Hawaii is attempting to build, over a period of years, a universal preschool system for all three and four-year-olds. This voluntary program is now located in the Department of Education (EOEL) and complements the many excellent private preschool providers across the state.
The trustees of the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation are mindful of our long history of serving all of Hawaii’s families with educational opportunities in the early years of growth and socio-emotional development. Preschool tuition assistance is intended to support the education of 3-4 year-olds from low to moderate income families.
As always, the pre-school should develop the process for identifying eligible children and provide families information on how they may apply for this tuition assistance. Please publicize the existence of these scholarships in any way you choose. Twelve months after receipt of the funds, send us a report on how many pre-school students were assisted and how the pilot project assisted, if it did, the school’s ability to serve low to moderate-income families.
All applications for tuition assistance are due in the office of the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation no later than January 6, 2025. Trustees will consider all requests for up to $25,000 at our February meeting and awards will be made by the end of February 2025 for the academic year 2025-2026.
News of the award, if made, may be shared with the media and in-house newsletters, etc. Successful applicants should inform parents of children receiving an award that the funds came from the Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation. The total budget for this competition is $200,000 with an additional $75,000 being granted to the Catholic Diocese for accredited Catholic pre-schools across the state. The Diocese must apply for the funds by the January 6, 2025 deadline.
For the 2025-2026 academic year, we urge the following preschools to apply in the amount budgeted:
List of Eligible Accredited Pre-Schools for Academic Year 2025-2026
- KCAA ($25,000)
- Seagull Schools ($25,000)
- Rainbow School ($25,000)
- Aloha School ($10,000)
- Good Shepherd Pre-School ($15,000)
- Kahului Baptist Preschool ($20,000)
- YWCA of Hawaii Island (Hilo) ($25,000)
- Na Kamali`i Hoaloha ($15,000)
- Ae Kamali’i Pre-School ($15,000)
- Montessori Community School ($10,000)
- Wailuku Union Church Pre-School ($15,000)
- Catholic Diocese for tuition assistance throughout the state and small capital improvements in Catholic preschools ($75,000)
A Full Application Should Include:
- A cover letter on official stationary signed by the pre-school director and chairman of the school board.
- Proposal narratives must be a maximum of three pages and include the following information:
– Brief description of the applicant organization, its purpose, its history, its governance, and its current enrollment.
– Concise summary of the scholarship/tuition aid program for pre-school students, with a statement of need, measurable program objectives, description of how the activity is to be carried out, an indication of the population to be served, and the plan for evaluating its effectiveness.
– Number of pre-school students receiving any kind of tuition assistance.
– The percentage of pre-school enrolled students in the calendar year 2024 who are on some form of public and private tuition support.
– How many pre-school students will be helped if the Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation funds the request (estimates are satisfactory)? - A current revenue and expense budget for the entire scholarship/tuition aid program, indicating other funding sources, if any, available for pre-school students.
- Additional financial information requested:
– The organization’s current operating budget (indicate start and end date of fiscal year).
– Income Statement for organization’s most recent completed fiscal year (indicate start and end date of fiscal year). Audited financial statements are preferred. - A copy of the following must be included in your request:
– List of Board members with their professional or business affiliation; and statement as to active participants of board members. - One Copy of the following items must be included with the proposal packet:
– Internal Revenue Service letter advising that the organization is tax-exempt under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Code, and its foundation status under 509 (a) (if not submitted in earlier applications).
– Organization’s charter and by-laws, if not previously submitted or amended.
Deadline & Submission
The proposal should be sent to the following mailing address by January 6, 2025:
Alfred L. Castle, Executive Director
Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation
733 Bishop Street, Suite 1275
Pacific Guardian Center, Makai Tower
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
The completed application may also be e-mailed or hand delivered. Early submissions are welcome and no late applications are accepted.
Final Report for Your Tuition Assistance Grant is due 12 months after receipt of check
All successful applicants for pre-school tuition assistance should prepare a simple final report. In the report narrative, please answer the following questions:
- How many pre-school students were assisted by the Castle Foundation grant?
- Provide a brief financial statement of funds received from the grant and funds expended. Were any funds left over?
- How was the grant distributed? Who received the assistance and over what period of time?
- How did you inform the family of the child where the scholarship came from?