This step reflects a clearer alignment with Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s intent and with who we are becoming through E Ola! and SP2030.
For many years, most Kamehameha haumāna have already been receiving full or nearly full tuition support. Even where tuition was charged, it represented only a small fraction of the true cost of a Kamehameha education. What has changed is not Pauahi’s generosity, but our clarity.
Through E Ola!, we have come to understand more fully that a Kamehameha education is not transactional. It is a chiefly gift rooted in ea, ‘ōiwi leadership, and kuleana. The payment of tuition, which has mostly been symbolic, no longer reflects the relationship Pauahi intended or the education we are already providing.
Removing tuition allows us to more fully fulfill Pauahi’s vision and our responsibility to the lāhui.
Beginning with 2026 summer programs and the 2026-27 school year, tuition will no longer be required for any haumāna enrolled at Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha preschools or K-12 campuses. This change is pending Probate Court approval.
Eliminating tuition reflects a permanent commitment grounded in Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s Will, E Ola!, and Strategic Plan 2030. While trustees will always have kuleana to steward Pauahi’s resources wisely for future generations, this change reflects careful planning and analysis and is intended to endure.
For decades, Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s generosity has supported the vast majority of the costs of educating haumāna. For preschool and campus learners, this support equates to about 85 to 90 percent of the true costs. As such, 100 percent of Kamehameha learners receive deep financial support from Ke Ali‘i Pauahi.
Beyond this significant support, three-fourths of our haumāna receive additional financial aid from Ke Ali‘i Pauahi to fully or partially cover the remaining costs of a Kamehameha education. Only about a quarter of students/‘ohana had paid the tuition amount determined by trustees. All told, the tuition collected has historically accounted for about 3 to 4 percent of actual costs.
No. The current level of investment in education, whether through our preschools, campuses, scholarships, or community grants, will remain steady.
External parties have attempted to frame Pauahi’s relationship with her po‘e keiki through a Western contractual lens. Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha rejects that framing. This decision strengthens the clarity that a Kamehameha education is Pauahi’s gift, defined by her intent.
At this time, it is anticipated that all costs associated with a Kamehameha education will be borne by Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s estate. Additional details will be forthcoming if Probate Court approval is received.
Your keiki will continue to receive the same high-quality, culturally grounded Kamehameha education as they are now receiving. The difference is that tuition payments will no longer be required.
For some ‘ohana, this change in annual expenses will enable opportunities to consider how resources that would have been invested in their keiki’s Kamehameha education might now be shared forward to support the education of other keiki. One pathway for such opportunities is the Kaiāulu Fund, which supports scholarships for learners beyond Kamehameha preschools and campuses. The Kaiāulu Fund also provides grants to 150 KS Kaiāulu community partner organizations that serve such learners across the pae ‘āina.
No. There is no expectation or requirement to donate, volunteer, or participate in any way. Kuleana is not a legal obligation. It is a cultural value, lived through choices, care, and contribution over time. Each ‘ohana will carry this in their own way, and all choices are respected.
For ‘ohana who wish to share forward what they have received from Pauahi, optional pathways will be available, including:
Opportunities for giving and sharing are being made available because Pauahi’s gift was never meant to uplift individuals alone, but to strengthen her people across generations.
For some ‘ohana, kōkua will be possible. For others, it will not. Both are understood and respected. What matters is remaining mindful of one another and of the many keiki and ‘ohana who do not have access to a Kamehameha education.
This is how ea is exercised collectively — through care, balance, and shared kuleana.
No. Donations, volunteer service, or any form of giving and serving will never influence admissions decisions, continued enrollment, or student placement in any way.
All tuition collected during the 2025-26 school year will be transferred to the Kaiāulu Fund. This will serve to strengthen scholarships and community grants as this transition begins. Tuition paid during the 2025-26 school year will not be funded to families.
Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha will express mahalo to all who kōkua. Participation in giving and serving is voluntary and may be acknowledged, unless donors wish to remain anonymous. However, recognition is not what we hope will motivate giving.
This shift helps to:
This is what a thriving, self-determined lāhui looks like in practice.
The process for enrollment will not change. Enrollment will still be conducted through Infinite Campus. As in previous years, KS will send existing and new families email instructions on how to enroll for the summer and new school year.
Yes. Nothing will change about how your child currently selects and obtains class schedules.
Yes. Families will still purchase personal uniforms through our third-party vendor, Lands’ End.