UH Community Colleges Working to Help Heald College Students

**link to interview with Kapi'olani CC Vice Chancellor Brenda Ivelisse (more info blow): http://bit.ly/1F1XRVH

HONOLULU—  The University of Hawai'i Community Colleges (UHCC) is working closely with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ (DCCA) Hawai'i Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program (HPEAP) to identify proactive "next steps" for Heald students.

"The closure of Heald College has drawn the attention of many in government and the University," said John Morton, University of Hawai'i Vice President for Community Colleges.  "We want to do everything we can, within cost and reason, to accommodate any Heald student who may wish to make the transition to one of our programs."

UHCC Director for Academic Programs Suzette Robinson said: “Former Heald students are seeking answers to a myriad of questions on topics of concern such as financial aid, transcripts, and transfer of credits. Our colleges are helping them find answers to these questions and more. In this stressful period of their lives, we want to provide guidance and information so that they can make the best decisions for themselves. We want to be part of the solution and help these students continue their education."

HPEAP is in the process of obtaining student records from Heald College. Once the information is received, HPEAP will provide information on their DCCA website on how to obtain Heald College transcripts.  Please check their website for updated information at http://cca.hawaii.gov/hpeap/for-heald-college-students/.

 “We understand that students are now faced with difficult decisions about continuing their education,” said Bobbi Lum-Mew, administrator of the HPEAP program. “We are working with students to provide answers and guidance about federal student loan forgiveness, transfer credits, and transcripts.”

Students are encouraged to contact a community college counselor to discuss their educational options. For campus contact information and links to various resources, go to the UHCC website at http://uhcc.hawaii.edu/heald.

In addition, the community colleges will be holding several open houses for Heald Students at the following campuses. These events will provide information on credit transfer, comparable academic programs, student loan discharge, financial aid and the college admission process.

Open House:  Information Session on Health Information Technology
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Time: 7 to 8 p.m.
Location: Leeward Community College, GT 105
Contact: joylane@hawaii.edu

Open House:  All majors
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Kapi'olani Community College, Cafeteria
Contact: kaptye@hawaii.edu

Open House: All majors
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Time: 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Honolulu Community College, Cafeteria
Contact: hccreach@hawaii.edu

Link to download soundbites from Kapi‘olani CC Vice Chancellor Brenda Ivelisse: http://bit.ly/1F1XRVH

Brenda Ivelisse, Vice Chancellor, Kapi‘olani Community College (:16)

“The University of Hawai‘i is very excited to welcome the Heald students to get their questions answered for admissions purposes, financial aid and any other things they may have about how to make their transition from Heald to the University of Hawai‘i seamless.”

Brenda Ivelisse, Vice Chancellor, Kapi‘olani Community College (:08)

“The great thing about the University of Hawai‘i is that we have so many campuses that can be very close for the Heald students to have access to.”

# # #

The University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges (UHCC) is a statewide system of seven separately accredited institutions part of the larger ten-institution University of Hawai’i system. Through these seven degree-granting campuses, three University Centers, and Education Centers on Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, in Hana, Maui, and on the Wai‘anae Coast of O‘ahu, the UHCC provides open-door access to affordable, high-quality education in a variety of programs from career and technical to liberal arts education. Website: http://uhcc.hawaii.edu

The Hawai'i State Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program (HPEAP) operates within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) pursuant to the Hawai'i Revised Statutes Chapter 305J. The program was created in 2013 by Act 180 to provide regulatory oversight of accredited, degree-granting, post-secondary educational institutions that have a physical presence in the State of Hawai'i. The purpose of the law is to meet the requirements for state authorization under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Website: http://cca.hawaii.gov/hpeap/