The University of Hawaii will allocate an average of $1,000 per scholarship athlete this year in cost of attendance stipends after receiving a multi-year gift "in excess of $1 million"  from the Waterhouse Charitable Trust, officials announced Tuesday. 

"It is a great day to be alive and be a (Rainbow) Warrior," football coach Norm Chow said. 

UH has approximately 250 scholarship athletes, 85 in football. 

"This is about the welfare of our athletes and being competitive," athletic director David Matlin said.

Matlin said it will be up to each coach to determine how much individual athletes receive from the pool designated to each team. 

"I’m excited and I know my teammates will be, too," said tight end Harold Moleni who was among the first players notified. 

The full cost of attendance, as determined by the UH-Manoa Financial Aids Office, is $3,925, but Matlin said, "it is important that we get started right away in some form." He said the amounts could change in 2016-’17.

In the 12-member Mountain West Conference, where UH competes in football, Hawaii is one of nine that will offer COA this year. The Air Force Academy already offers stipends to all students while  Nevada and Nevada-Las Vegas will wait until 2016 to offer for football, spokesman said.

Boise State tops the conference and said it will offer as much as $5,486 per athlete depending on residency. 

The Waterhouse donation will also go supporting the football program in summer school, meals and  nutritional supplements, UH said.

"This gift will help us tremendously in our commitment to improving and enhancing the welfare of our student athletes," Manoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman said. UH President David Lassner said he hoped the gift would inspire other to also contribute. 

NCAA legislation allowing schools to offer cost of attendance stipends to scholarship athletes became operative Aug. 1. The stipends are to cover costs beyond the traditional tuition, books, room and board previously covered by scholarships. 

Matlin said the first checks could go out as soon as September. 

The Waterhouse Trust is named for the late Alec Waterhouse, a long-time UH fan and booster. 

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Allocations by sport:

Baseball  $11,700

Men’s Basketball*  $13,000

Football*  $85,000

Men’s Golf  $4,500

Men’s Swimming $ 9,900

Men’s Tennis $4,500

Men’s Volleyball  $4,500

Women’s Basketball*  $16,327

Women’s Golf  $6,531

Women’s Soccer  $15,239

Softball  $13,062

Women’s Swimming  $15,239

Women’s Tennis*  $8,708

Women’s T&F  $19,593

Women’s Volleyball*  $13,062

Women’s Sand Volleyball  $6,531

Women’s Water polo  $8,708

* Head-count sports. 

Source: UH