Accelerated online AA degree great option, even before COVID-19

VIDEO NEWS RELEASE

UH accelerated online degree student Shareen Gill-Dhesi.

UH accelerated online degree student Shareen Gill-Dhesi with daughters.

UH accelerated online degree student Christopher Sawai at work.

UH accelerated online degree student Christopher Sawai at work.

Link to video and sound (details below): https://bit.ly/3czMaxz

What: Only 50 spots are available for the fall 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 relatively new program provides more versatility for residents who hope to earn a degree even while possibly juggling work and raising a family

• Many students find the accelerated online courses valuable, especially in the age of COVID-19, when classes can and have moved online. 

How: Apply online:  http://uhcc.hawaii.edu/online/

Cost: Resident tuition is $131 per credit. Out-of-state tuition is $345 per credit. Financial aid is available to those who qualify.

When: Registration for the fall 2020 cohort closes on August 1. There were almost 400 applicants for 40 spaces in the first cohort, so the group was expanded to make room for more students this year.

Other facts:

• The first Accelerated AA Online cohort started in fall 2019. Students ranged in age from 18 to 62, with an average age of 36.  

• Students who complete the program will earn an associate in arts degree from Leeward Community College in December 2022.

VIDEO:

BROLL: 1:10

:00-:28 photos and video of cohort 1 student Shareen Gill-Dhesi at home.

:28-:42 Photos of cohort 1 student Shareen Gill-Dhesi at work and with family

:42- 1:10 Photos of cohort 1 student Christopher Sawai at work at his job at a Honolulu hotel

SOUND:

Shareen Gill-Dhesi, UH accelerated online student (works full time and homeschools children.) (:20)

“The online degree program is accelerated, but it is very rewarding and it is manageable. Like I said, I have a 4.0 GPA and I have a lot of other things going on. But I think that if you set your mind to it, it is very much achievable and it is well worth your time and your money.”

Christopher Sawai, UH accelerated online student (started program in 2019 while working as the front desk manager at a local hotel, where he has worked for 17 years. Radford High School graduate.)(:09)

“When I saw that UH was offering this accelerated class, I thought this would be an opportunity to work while still earning my degree.”

Sawai (:09}

“I just decided it was time to move forward and the only way to do that was to earn a degree and progress as a person as well.”