Foodland Super Market Ltd. this week launched a charitable program in which the local supermarket chain will award $200,000 in scholarships to 100 Hawai'i high school seniors with help from customers.

Under the program dubbed Shop for Higher Education, customers may pick one school to partner with in Foodland's Maika'i customer loyalty program. Every time a customer makes a purchase at a Foodland or Sack N Save store through March 24, they earn Maika'i points for themselves and their designated school. Customers also may donate money to the scholarship fund.

The 50 schools with the most points earn between one and five $2,000 scholarships if they earn at least 20,000 points. There are 76 Hawai'i public and private high schools participating in the program this year.

Schools determine scholarship recipients based on criteria established by Foodland.

The program began Wednesday. It is the fourth year for the program, which replaced a similar event that provided computers and supplies to schools. The scholarship program in its first three years awarded about $630,000 in scholarships.