Hawai'i Preparatory Academy
★ Founded 1949; kindergarten through Grade 12 plus a post-graduate year; the Upper School is 50% boarding and 50% day, and of the boarders 60% are from the US and 40% international; the boarding population represents 25 countries and 16 US states and territories; 72 teachers; dually accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Hawaii Association of Independent SchoolsCheck accreditation yourself
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DAPIP - U.S. Department of Education ↗About Hawai'i Preparatory Academy
A K-12 day and boarding school with a post-graduate year on the Big Island of Hawai'i, founded in 1949 and dually accredited by WASC and HAIS. The Upper School is half boarding, and the boarding population comes from 25 countries. International boarding for 2026-27 is USD 87,900 against USD 74,800 for domestic boarders — the widest international premium in this group.
- The number to look at first. International boarding for 2026-27 is USD 87,900; domestic boarding is USD 74,800; Hawai'i in-state boarding is USD 68,300. That is a USD 13,100 gap between an international boarder and a domestic one for the same place in the same dormitory — the largest such gap among the fifteen schools in this group.
- The domestic rate carries a documented condition, which is why it is not available to a Vietnamese family: it requires at least one parent and the student to hold a US passport or permanent residency. The in-state rate requires the family's primary residence in Hawai'i and a Hawai'i resident tax return.
- Day tuition by division for 2026-27: pre-kindergarten (ages 3-5) USD 15,900, Lower School K-5 USD 29,000, Middle School 6-8 USD 32,500, Upper School 9-12 USD 37,500.
- Aid is real and well documented here: 40% of students receive some assistance, the average grant is 39% of tuition and the maximum is typically 45-55%.
- The Upper School is half boarding and half day, and of the boarders 40% are international from 25 countries. That balance matters in practice — a student is neither an oddity in a domestic school nor isolated in an all-international dormitory.
- Key dates for 2027-28: application due 10 February 2027, decisions released 9 March 2027, priority enrolment deadline 10 April 2027. Tuition for 2027-28 is announced in January 2027, so the figures above are for the current year.
- Hawai'i is the most accessible American state from Vietnam by flight time, and needs no winter wardrobe. Set against the USD 13,100 international premium, that is the trade to weigh — this school costs more than its mainland peers for an international student, and is easier to get to and to live in.
- The school does not publish English test requirements or describe an ESL programme anywhere we could find. For a student still building English, that is the first question to put to admissions, not the last.
The three boarding rates (USD 87,900 international, USD 74,800 domestic, USD 68,300 Hawai'i in-state), the day rates by division and the passport/residency conditions attached to them were read directly on hpa.edu on 17 September 2026 at /admissions/affording-hpa/tuition/. The 40% aid share, the 45-55% maximum, the 39% average grant and the income range of recipient families come from /admissions/affording-hpa/. The 10 February 2027, 9 March 2027 and 10 April 2027 dates and the 25-country boarding figure come from /admissions/international-applicants/. The 1949 founding, the grade range, the 50% boarding share with its 60% US / 40% international split, the 72 teachers and the DUAL WASC + HAIS ACCREDITATION come from /about/. NOT FOUND: any English test requirement, any English-language support programme, total enrolment, the student-teacher ratio, campus acreage, the AP course count, and a clear statement of whether international students are eligible for financial aid. Tuition changes from year to year and the school states 2027-28 rates are announced in January 2027.
Ask VNIS about this programmeTuition & scholarships
Hawai'i Preparatory Academy sits in the High tuition band. Tuition and scholarships change every year and by program, so VNIS provides the exact up-to-date figures for the program you choose during consultation. HPA publishes its aid arithmetic more fully than any other school here, and the numbers are worth reading in order: 40% of the student body receives some form of assistance; the maximum award is typically 45-55% of tuition; and the average grant was 39% of tuition. It also publishes who receives aid — in 2025-26 boarding families with incomes from USD 17,000 to over USD 325,000 received it, with an average recipient household income of USD 140,000. That last figure is unusually candid and tells you something useful: aid here is not restricted to the lowest incomes. Applied to the international boarding fee, an average award of 39% is around USD 34,000..
🇺🇸Study in the USACountry overview, requirements, costs & study pathwayExplore →Frequently asked questions
Where is Hawai'i Preparatory Academy located?
Hawai'i Preparatory Academy is located in Kamuela, Hawaii, United States, a private day & boarding school.
What are the tuition and scholarships at Hawai'i Preparatory Academy?
Tuition sits in the "High" band. Tuition and scholarships change every year and by program, so VNIS provides the exact up-to-date figures for your chosen program during consultation. HPA publishes its aid arithmetic more fully than any other school here, and the numbers are worth reading in order: 40% of the student body receives some form of assistance; the maximum award is typically 45-55% of tuition; and the average grant was 39% of tuition. It also publishes who receives aid — in 2025-26 boarding families with incomes from USD 17,000 to over USD 325,000 received it, with an average recipient household income of USD 140,000. That last figure is unusually candid and tells you something useful: aid here is not restricted to the lowest incomes. Applied to the international boarding fee, an average award of 39% is around USD 34,000..
How do I apply to Hawai'i Preparatory Academy with VNIS?
Fill in the form at the bottom of this page. A VNIS advisor will contact you, review your profile for free and support you all the way to enrolment. You can also create an account to track your application.
