UH Hilo receives federal funds to support Native Hawaiian students

The funds will be used to support the success of Native Hawaiian students through leadership development, campus and community engagement, and Native Hawaiian language, culture and knowledge learning pathways.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will receive $447,767 in federal funding as part of $3 million awarded to the UH System as a Native Hawaiian serving institution from the U.S. Department of Education’s Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions program. The funding will support several different projects to improve and expand programs for Native Hawaiian students to promote college completion and success at UH Hilo, UH Maui College, Honolulu Community College, Kapiʻolani Community College and Windward Community College.

UH Hilo will use the funds to support the success of Native Hawaiian students through leadership development, campus and community engagement, and Native Hawaiian language, culture and knowledge learning pathways. The projects will specifically focus on returning students, transfer students, and students enrolled in Hawaiian language and culture courses.

“At a time when colleges and students are preparing for a new school year during a pandemic, this funding provides schools with resources to support Native Hawaiian students as they pursue their degrees,” says U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono in a release. “I will fight for additional robust funding for this program so that Native Hawaiian students are connected and supported throughout their education.”

For more information about funding for other UH campuses, see UH System News.