Nearly $4.4M federal grant expands college pathways for Hawaiʻi Island students

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has secured a $4,368,000 federal grant to help 840 students from rural Hawaiʻi Island communities prepare for college, pursue career opportunities and succeed in higher education.

The seven-year Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Hawaiʻi Island Partnership Project will run through 2032, supporting students from seven target schools in Kohala, Honokaʻa, Keaʻau, Kaʻū and Pāhoa. The highly competitive federal program awarded only 19 partnership grants this year.

The initiative is designed to address educational barriers facing students in communities where poverty and geographic isolation can limit access to academic support and postsecondary opportunities. It will provide a continuum of services beginning in seventh grade and extending through students’ transition to college and into their first year of higher education.

“This grant is an investment in the potential of Hawaiʻi Island students. By connecting students with academic support, college credits, career experiences and ongoing guidance, we can help them see a path to higher education and give them the tools and support to pursue it,” said Anna Ah Sam, principal investigator for the project and the coordinator of grant writing, evaluation and assessment in the UH Mānoa SEED Office.

Opportunities for students

Project activities will include a yearlong student success class for students in grades seven through 12, in-person and online tutoring, summer credit recovery, standardized test preparation, financial literacy workshops and assistance completing college and financial aid applications.

Students will also have opportunities to earn college credits through Early College programs, participate in high school and college bridge programs, explore career pathways through internships and apprenticeships, and visit college campuses. Academic advising and college counseling will continue as students transition to higher education, including support for GEAR UP alumni during their seventh year in the program.

The project brings together 23 partners, including 11 UH Mānoa programs and offices, the seven target schools, and five additional educational and community organizations.

“This partnership is about helping students recognize their potential and giving them the support to turn their dreams and aspirations into opportunities,” UH Mānoa Chancellor Vassilis L. Syrmos said. “By building connections between schools, the university and community partners, we can help more Hawaiʻi Island students take meaningful steps toward not just attending college, but graduating and moving on to a successful career.”

The project will measure progress through five key outcomes:

• Increasing the number of students who pass Algebra I or its equivalent
• Graduation from high school in four years
• Completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid during their senior year
• Enrollment in college
• Persisting through their first year of college

The Hawaiʻi Island initiative marks the sixth GEAR UP partnership grant awarded to UH since the federal program began 26 years ago. Together, the six partnership grants have served more than 5,000 students.

GEAR UP is a federal program that supports early college awareness and preparation, particularly for students from underserved communities. Through sustained academic support and exposure to postsecondary education and careers, the program aims to help more students make the transition from high school to college and complete their degrees.

The UH System currently administers three concurrent GEAR UP grants: one statewide grant facilitated by Hawaiʻi P–20 and two partnership cohort grants, one led by UH Mānoa and the other by UH West Oʻahu.