Actuarial Diversity Scholarship changes policy, recognizes Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders as underrepresented!

I am very pleased to announce that after hearing from the Pacific Islander Access project and reviewing their policy, the Actuarial Diversity Scholarship will recognize that Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are underrepresented!

Starting next year, Pacific Islanders will be eligible to apply for this important scholarship, alongside other underrepresented groups. All of us at the P.I.A. project were excited when we found out, and impressed by the Actuarial Foundation's sincere interest in being inclusive of Pacific Islanders.

In choosing to make this important change, the Actuarial Diversity Scholarship joins the HBCU Minority Scholarship, which announced a change to its policy last month. Both scholarships were contacted by the P.I.A. project earlier this year, provided with data on Pacific Islander underrepresentation, and asked to consider adding Pacific Islanders to the list of groups eligible to apply for their scholarship.

We've thanked them already, but we'd like to publicly commend the Actuarial Foundation for its decision. Their willingness to take another look at the data and change their eligibility policy demonstrates a true commitment to giving underrepresented minorities the opportunities they need. We also hope that other underrepresented minority scholarships and fellowships will look at the example being set by the Actuarial Diversity Scholarship and HBCU Minority Scholarship, and make sure they aren't wrongfully excluding Pacific Islanders from applying.

I encourage our readers to visit the Actuarial Foundation's website, http://www.actuarialfoundation.org, take a look at their scholarship, and share that information with peers and potential applicants.

Once again, aloha and mahalo to the Actuarial Foundation for opening up a new opportunity for Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.

Kawika