Students of all ages and backgrounds, who—despite the pandemic—continued to pursue their educational goals at a University of Hawaiʻi Community College, are the stars of a new television, radio and digital marketing campaign to increase awareness among prospective and returning students. The “Make it Happen” campaign also highlights the opportunities and value offered by the seven campuses across the state.
“There’s a lot of options for me here,” said UH Community College student Raymond Berdon, an aspiring social worker. “As a full-time worker, they work hard to meet your needs. If it wasn’t for the resources they provided to me, I wouldn’t be able to go to college to pursue my dreams.”
A UH Community College education continues to be one of the most reasonably priced options in Hawaiʻi. The tuition cost for a full-time student is about $3,000 a year. In addition, UH Community Colleges offer the Hawaiʻi Promise Scholarship, which provides money from UH and the State of Hawaiʻi to eligible students to cover education costs—such as tuition, fees and books—that are not met by other forms of financial aid. Last year, 1,800 students from seven UH Community Colleges statewide benefitted with an average award of $1,629.
Applications for the fall 2022 semester by Hawaiʻi public high school class of 2022 graduates look promising. As of May 23, the number of applications submitted had increased by more than 36% (3,900 applications compared to 2,900 last year). Earlier this year, the Kamaʻāina app was launched for Class of 2022 graduates to make the college application process easier. This new admission application takes students fewer than 15 minutes to complete with no fee, saving valuable time and money.
“The pandemic caused a lot of uncertainty in our students’ lives and future plans,” UH Vice President of Community Colleges Erika Lacro said. “We want students to know there’s a place for everyone at our amazing and affordable campuses whether you’re starting an educational path towards a degree, preparing for a trade, or returning to pursue a mid-life career change that requires more education and training.”
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