FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * TERNES DONAVON P   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol PROVIDENT FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC [PROV] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Executive Vice President (Last) (First) (Middle) 3756 CENTRAL AVENUE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 08/07/2008 (Street) RIVERSIDE, CA 92506 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 08/07/2008   A   19,500 A $ 0 90,299 (1) D

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Option to Purchase Common Stock

$ 7.03

08/07/2008

A

25,000

08/07/2011

08/07/2018

Common Stock

25,000

$ 0

153,000 (2)

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
TERNES DONAVON P 3756 CENTRAL AVENUE RIVERSIDE, CA 92506			Executive Vice President

Signatures

/s/Donavon P. Ternes		08/08/2008
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Direct ownership of 65,719 shares, which includes the 19,500 share restricted stock award granted on August 7, 2008 from the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan that vests on August 7, 2011 and the 12,000 share restricted stock award granted on February 6, 2007 from the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan vesting over a five-year period in equal installments beginning on February 6, 2008; indirect ownership of 7,080 shares in Mr. Ternes' Employee Stock Ownership Plan account; and indirect ownership of 17,500 shares owned by Mr. Ternes' spouse.
(2)	Mr. Ternes has previously been granted 128,000 options to acquire 128,000 shares of Provident's common stock under Provident's 1996 Stock Option Plan, 2003 Stock Option Plan and 2006 Equity Incentive Plan. Those grants vest ratably over a five-year period and expire in ten years. The activity described in this Form 4 reflects that Mr. Ternes has been granted 25,000 options to acquire 25,000 shares of Provident's common stock under Provident's 2006 Equity Incentive Plan. The entire grant vests on August 7, 2011 and expires in ten years.

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