Limited space available for UH Community College accelerated online degree
VIDEO NEWS RELEASE
University of Hawaiʻi
Puanani Akaka, UH accelerated online degree student, reads to her son Carter.
UH accelerated online degree student Chantel Kualapai also works at three jobs.
Link to video and sound (details below): https://bit.ly/2WddiMp
What: Only 75 spots are available for the spring 2020 cohort of the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges Accelerated Online AA Liberal Arts degree.
Who: Students who are interested in the flexibility of taking five-week online courses, one at a time, year round. The cohort is designed for students with few to no college credits.
Why: The new program provides more versatility for residents who hope to earn a degree while working and raising families.
How: Apply online: http://uhcc.hawaii.edu/online/
Cost: Resident tuition is $131 per credit, and financial aid is available to those who qualify.
When: Registration for the spring 2020 cohort will close when all spots are filled. There were almost 400 applicants for 40 spaces in the first cohort, so the group was expanded to make room for 55 students.
Other facts:
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The first Accelerated AA Online cohort started in fall 2019. Students range in age from 18 to 62, with an average age of 36.
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Students completing the program will earn an associate in arts degree from Leeward Community College in December 2021.
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Many other students find the accelerated online courses valuable. This fall, all seven UH Community Colleges offered a total of 49 five-week online courses, which enrolled about 1,000 students.
VIDEO:
BROLL:
9 shots: Puanani Akaka and son
6 shots: Chantel Kualapai
1 shot: CG of AA Online website
SOUND:
Puanani Akaka, UH accelerated online student (has 4-year-old son) :17
I feel that I just want it so badly, so staying motivated and determined is really what pushes me and then also looking at my son knowing that once I can get a degree, I can move forward and then I can probably get a better pay and then that will help us financially.
Chantel Kualapai, UH accelerated online student (works at three jobs) :16
“At that point, thinking about going back and getting my degree because I’d been laid off a few times. Trying to get jobs where I know I can do it. But they just couldn’t put me in the programs or put me in the positions because I didn’t have a degree.”
Tammi Oyadomari-Chun, UH Community Colleges associate vice president :21
“The University of Hawai‘i’s new five-week online courses provide more options than before in how students can pursue their degree. So five-week online courses gives additional flexibility in being able to do education in a way that matches a studentĘ»s needs and lifestyle.”
Oyadomari-Chun :22
“People who have an associates degree are more likely to be able to be employed, even in bad economic times, their earnings are higher, health is better, there’s more civic engagement. Lots of other reasons to have a degree besides just what it allows in terms of economic opportunities.”