Hawai'i's top high school seniors will automatically receive $1,000 toward tuition at the University of Hawai'i regardless of financial need under a new scholarship program announced yesterday.

Unlike the college's Regents and Presidential scholarships, which are awarded on a competitive basis, the new Centennial Scholars program will grant tuition money to all UH-bound high school students in the state who graduate with a 3.8 grade-point average or score 1800 on the three-part SAT exam. Students who earn both a 3.8 GPA and an 1800 score will get an additional $1,000.

The program, launched to celebrate the university's 100th anniversary next year, will begin with the current class of high school seniors who will enter college in fall 2007. Current UH students are not eligible.

The Centennial scholarships will help offset rising tuition costs at UH.

At the Manoa campus, a $1,000 award represents a 20 percent discount off annual tuition of $5,136 in the 2007-08 academic year, and a 66 percent discount for community college students who would otherwise pay $1,512 a year for 12 credits per semester in the next academic year.

UH President David McClain said 1,000 high school seniors are expected to meet the GPA requirement, with 1,300 predicted to achieve 1800 on the SAT, although there will be substantial overlap in both groups. The university expects to pay out $1 million in the first year of the Centennial Scholars program, and $4 million to $5 million by the fourth year.

The scholarships will be funded by a series of tuition increases that began this fall.

"We want to acknowledge high-performing students and say to them, 'We want you to come to the University of Hawai'i,' " said McClain in announcing the program to the Board of Regents at its meeting yesterday at Maui Community College.

Parent Dennis Fong already was considering UH-Manoa for his son Daniel, a senior at Kailua High School who wants to study engineering.

"This is great. It makes UH high on my list of candidates," he said. "Anytime you can get $1,000, it's outstanding."

Although one purpose of the program is to entice top students to stay in Hawai'i, the offer may not be enough for some parents and seniors who feel there is additional educational value in going to a Mainland college.

Mary Machida of Wailuku said the offer is tempting, but her daughter Chelsea, a senior at Maui High School, has her heart set on going to college in the Pacific Northwest.

"She really wants to go away for the experience of living somewhere else, and this is the only time she'll be able to do that because she does want to come back to Maui," Machida said.

The scholarships can be used at any of the 10 campuses in the UH system. Students who maintain a 3.0 GPA in college will continue to receive $1,000 each year for up to four years at a baccalaureate campus or up to two years at community colleges.

Students who start out with a Centennial scholarship at a community college will continue to receive the award if they transfer to a four-year campus within the UH system.

The Centennial awards are in addition to the $16 million UH already provides in financial aid, McClain said.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.