Debt-free degree
with IWORK
By Myco Marcaida
Staff outline IWORK’s structure, while students share its impact on responsibility, resilience
and returnability
African students pose for the camera. Photo from Hiroki Konno
From an article by Juan Carlos De los Reyes on the BYUH website, Annie Misitana, a freshman majoring in business management from Solomon Islands, chose BYUH because of the IWORK program. She said she first heard about the program from people in her country and saw it as a life-changing opportunity. “University life is so expensive, I couldn’t afford to study abroad otherwise,” she explained. “If I hadn’t found out about it, I would have probably joined BYU–Pathway Worldwide or gone to a local university,” she continued.
Now working as a groundskeeper for Facilities Management, Misitana said balancing work and classes has taught her time management as a valuable life skill. More than that, she said the program is more than financial aid, but a blessing she could never repay with money.
Students working on course requirements together. Photo from Hiroki Konno
For Niken Wulandari, a senior finance major from Indonesia, being in IWORK means balancing work, school and personal life with discipline. “In the beginning, it was hard,” she said. “But now, I’ve developed habits of sacrificing some social and personal activities to focus on academics.”
She explained the program aims to plant a sense of responsibility in how students live their lives. “I feel more responsible knowing that donors, the university, and the church invested in my education. That motivates me to give back to my home community in Indonesia.”
At first, Wulandari saw IWORK as mainly financial support—an agreement where students give back through family contributions or repayment. But after three years in the program, she said she saw herself becoming an individual—a blessing she values more than her paycheck. The program prepares students to learn about success and sacrifice.
“The sacrifice comes from balancing work and school, but I know it builds the foundation for long-term success by teaching us principles such as discipline, persistence, and self-reliance.”
Talking with her fellow seniors, Wulandari noticed similar feelings about the desire to give back to the community through service. “There is a need to think about what others expect of you, especially those who invested their time and money. At times, I do feel pressured to get a good job and help when I move back home,” she said. Yet, she said she now sees the pressure as motivation rather than a burden. “Ultimately, I will graduate debt free. More than pressure, I see it as a privilege to repay through service and leadership when I return home.”
Since entering the university in 2022 in IWORK program, Wulandari said she’s only seen the program grow. “It’s extending to countries I’ve never even heard of. As someone who now works for and understands the program, I see it as more than financial support—it also provides guidance and mentorship for growth through the connection we create here on-campus.”
Made possible through generous donors, IWORK is BYU-Hawaii’s work-study program for students from Oceania and the Pacific Rim, says the Financial Aid & Scholarships website. Through the program, students work 19 hours a week at BYUH or the Polynesian Cultural Center while pursuing their degrees, the site continues.
Program growth
and structure
The number of students enrolling to the IWORK program has increased over the past five years, said Tammie Fonoimoana, Financial Aid & Scholarships Senior Manager.
Photo from Hiroki Konno
1700
Approx. students enrolled
Source: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Philanthropies (2023) and Tammie Fonoimoana
2,000
students (Projected, 2025)
75%
Approximate enrollment
Fonoimoana said the selection process to the IWORK program is competitive and depends on multiple factors. Program funding, university focus on area of emphasis, number of applications and student applicant financial need analysis are some of those factors. “We try to provide financial support to as many students as we are able to through the IWORK work-study program,” she shared.
To sustain the IWORK Program, Fonoimoana said President’s Council works closely with LDS Philanthropies and our donors to provide funding. As the resources increase, she continued, the ability to provide more scholarships will increase. “The donors understand the value of the IWORK Program and students’ returnability to contribute to their countries. When students return home and give back to their communities, it encourages more support for the program.”
Fonoimoana shared not all students who apply are admitted. Mostly due to limited resources or financial need. “There are students who apply multiple times, and it is heartbreaking that we are not able to accept everyone.” she said. The Fall 2025 semester, she shared, the Financial Aid Department also started seeing challenges with visa regulations. “We’ve had numerous students cancel or postpone their starting semesters because of the revised U.S. visa regulations.
What sets the IWORK program apart from other universities is the work-study component, she said. International students being able to graduate debt free and return home to make valuable contributions to their communities. “There may be other international scholarships out there, but there’s none similar to the IWORK work-study program at BYU-Hawaii. Our mission is specific, our purpose is unique, and there is nothing that can compare to it,” she explained.