The Maui News

MCC receives $3 million for Hawaiian scholarships

KAHULUI — Maui Community College has received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the Liko A‘e scholarship program for Native Hawaiian students pursuing baccalaureate and graduate degrees.

The program will also focus on increasing the number of Native Hawaiian teachers, especially in smaller rural communities with concentrations of Native Hawaiians.

The percentage of Native Hawaiians earning high school degrees is above the national average, according to an MCC announcement. But at the postsecondary level, their numbers fall off sharply. For example, while Native Hawaiians make up about 19 percent of the population in Hawaii, they represent just 8 percent of the student body at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, according to MCC.

Moreover, once in college, Native Hawaiians are far less likely to graduate. The 2001 state Department of Health Surveillance Survey reported that the graduation rate for Native Hawaiians is 14 percent compared to a 31 percent graduation rate for non-Hawaiians.

MCC Provost Clyde Sakamoto, principal investigator for the grant, said education is vital for the Native Hawaiian population.

“Higher education is not only a prerequisite to success in the high-technology industries of the future, it is also essential to the development of leaders who can guide our society,” said Sakamoto.

“Unfortunately, Native Hawaiians have been underrepresented in higher education, particularly in the fields which will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future, including education, engineering, science, medicine and law.”

He said the Liko A‘e program “will encourage the matriculation of Native Hawaiian students into baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate degree programs” by providing financial aid, counseling and other support programs.

A portion of the scholarship fund is earmarked for Native Hawaiian students from rural communities who are pursuing education degrees.

Liko A‘e Project Director Lui Hokoana said he hopes the funds can help reduce the high teacher-turnover rate common in Hawaii’s small towns.

“Many smaller, rural communities with a high percentage of Native Hawaiians have historically scored poorly on standardized tests, and school administrators have pointed to the high teacher turnover as one of the culprits for the disappointing results,” said Hokoana.

He said rural communities such as Molokai and Lanai suffer from a 30 to 40 percent teacher turnover each school year.

“When we talked with school administrators about the problem, their solution was both simple and obvious — recruit Native Hawaiians from within these communities to pursue degrees in education,” Hokoana said.

To encourage Native Hawaiian students to pursue college degrees, Liko A‘e Educational Centers — similar to the Educational Opportunity Center at MCC — will be set up on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island to provide services for Native Hawaiian students.

In addition, a partnership between the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs Mainland Council and Liko A‘e will target cities with a high concentration of Native Hawaiians — including Los Angeles, San Diego and Clarke County, Nev. A Liko A‘e Web site will provide information to Native Hawaiians around the world.

The Liko A‘e scholarship program will provide 130 fellowships to Native Hawaiians who have financial need but show academic potential. Priority will be given to students pursuing degrees in professions where Native Hawaiians are underrepresented, according to MCC.

Included in the Liko A‘e scholarship program is child-care assistance and referrals for academic assistance. For information about Liko A‘e scholarships, contact Hokoana at 984-3553.