BACKGROUND:

The Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship was established by Harriet Bouslog and her husband, Stephen T. Sawyer, in 1989 to benefit the family members of existing and retired ILWU members as well as members themselves planning to attend any school in the University of Hawaii system. Harriet Bouslog dedicated her life to defending the ILWU Local 142 and its members, working as the union’s first General Counsel from 1946 to 1978. She continued to support the working people of Hawaii until her passing in 1998.

The Bouslog Scholarship was established to demonstrate this support as well as to commemorate the historic achievements of ILWU Local 142 and encourage greater awareness and understanding among young people about the ILWU Local 142’s economic, social and political contributions to Hawai’i.

ANNUAL DEADLINE: MARCH 2

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Be a full-time student pursuing a degree or certificate at any University of Hawaiʻi campus.
2. Demonstrate satisfactory academic merit, as determined by the selection committee.
3. Be a current member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142, OR a qualified relative(including children or grandchildren) of a current, retired, or deceased ILWU Local 142 member, as self-identified in the application process.

**As of 2026, The Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship Fund application has officially moved from the Harriet Bouslog website to the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation Common Scholarship Application system.**

All applicants must now apply through the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation Common Scholarship Application, which is used across the UH system. This update applies to new applicants and returning applicants. 

>>IF YOU ARE A RETURNING APPLICANT, PLEASE COMPLETE THE UH FOUNDATION COMMON APPLICATION. (ESSAY NOT REQUIRED)

>>IF YOU ARE A NEW APPLICANT, AND HAVE PREVIOUSLY APPLIED THROUGH HARRIETBOUSLOG.COM OR SHOLARSAPP, IT IS VOID, AND YOU WILL NEED TO APPLY THROUGH UH. (ESSAY REQUIRED)

Application Overview:

• Personal/Campus Specific Questions
• General Essays (300-word limit each)
• Community Service (600-word limit)
• Other Optional Essays
• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts
• Fafsa

Selection Preferences

(Applied in the following order of importance)

1. Prior Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship Fund recipients.

2. Graduating high school seniors entering college as freshmen.

3. Immediate family members, including grandchildren, of a current, retired, or deceased ILWU Local 142 member. OR current members themselves, as identified in the application.

4. Undergraduate students.

5. Demonstrated financial need (not necessarily as defined by federal guidelines).

6. For graduate students: those who previously received support from the Fund at any UH campus and earned their     undergraduate degree from any University of Hawaiʻi campus.

Important Note:

If you were awarded a Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship in the previous year, you will be automatically awarded a scholarship for the following year, provided you demonstrate satisfactory academic progress, as shown by your transcript.

Up to 10 scholarships are awarded each year with the following award amounts per semester:

• U.H. Manoa - $2,000
• U.H. Hilo/West Oahu - $1,000
• U.H. Community Colleges - $750

NEED KŌKUA? CHECK OUT THIS APPLICATION TUTORIAL!

Contact Information

Direct member educational support: 
Ho’opili DeSilva
hoopili.desilva@ilwulocal142.org

_______________________________ 

Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship Fund

63 Merchant Street
(Harriet Bouslog Building)
Honolulu HI 96813
(808) 537-3327
harrietbouslog@gmail.com

_______________________________

University of Hawai'i

Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs

2444 Dole Street, Bachman Annex 9-6
Honolulu, HI 96822

Website:
http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/studentaffairs/