Hawaii National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program

The Hawaii National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program pays up to 100 percent of tuition at a public community college and up to 50 percent of tuition at a public university, for a member of the Hawaii National Guard enrolled in a degree program. What the statute says and what is published differ. HRS 121-45(a) lets the adjutant general, "subject to the availability of funds", award tuition assistance to qualified enlisted persons, warrant officers, and company grade officers (O-1 through O-3) in the Hawaii National Guard who are Hawaii residents under the University of Hawaii's residency rule in section 304A-402 and are working toward a degree on any University of Hawaii campus. The statute sets no enlisted grade ceiling and names warrant officers. The E-5 and below limit, and the 100 percent and 50 percent rates, come from the program as published, including the Army benefits library, not from the statute; a sergeant first class or a warrant officer should ask rather than assume they are out. A field grade officer is outside the statute. Graduate degrees from July 1, 2026. Act 65 of 2026 (Senate Bill 2138) added graduate students to subsection (a)(2), effective July 1, 2026, so a qualifying member working toward a graduate degree at the University of Hawaii can now be awarded the assistance. Awards remain subject to the funds appropriated each year; the statute creates no entitlement. The difference between the community college rate and the university rate is worth planning around. At 100 percent, community college tuition is fully covered; at 50 percent, a university student carries half. A Guard member who completes an associate degree at a community college and transfers into a University of Hawaii four-year campus pays considerably less overall than one who starts at the university. The member has to be a Hawaii resident and enrolled in a degree program. There is no disability rating requirement. This is a benefit of current service. The state program sits alongside federal Guard tuition assistance and the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve under Chapter 1606. They draw from separate pots, and the unit education office can advise on sequencing so that using one does not waste another. Apply through the Hawaii National Guard education office.