Kauaʻi Community College awarded $4.3M grant for first-of-its-kind Transfer Center

Kauaʻi Community College has been awarded more than $4.3 million from the U.S. Department of Education to establish a groundbreaking new first-of-its-kind Transfer Center within the University of Hawaiʻi system to help students continue their degrees at other UH campuses.

The center will offer comprehensive support services for Kauaʻi Community College students transferring to 4-year programs at UH campuses on Oʻahu in Mānoa and West Oʻahu and UH-Hilo on the Big Island.

It will also expand program offerings and transfer pathways for those students.

The Transfer Center aims to streamline transfer processes, especially for students pursuing degrees in pre-med, information technology and secondary education.

It will feature on-site counselors from three of UH’s 4-year campuses to provide personalized academic and career guidance.

In addition to transfer services, the center will offer wrap-around support including mental health, academic assistance, emergency aid and personalized Coordinated Access Resource Entry System plans to help students overcome barriers and successfully complete their degrees.

This collaboration also extends to other UH campuses.

Leeward Community College on Oʻahu offers its associate of science in teaching program in person at Kauaʻi Community College.

UH-Hilo and UH-Mānoa support pathways into their elementary education programs.

“I am excited to strengthen our partnership with [Kauaʻi Community College] and to provide smooth pathways for Kauaʻi students who wish to transfer to UH-Hilo and benefit from our hands-on, place-based academic programs,” said UH-Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin.

Kauaʻi Community College Director of Institutional Effectiveness Valerie Barko said this has been a vision of the three University Centers, which work in partnership with UH campuses to support online and hybrid programs statewide. The centers are located on Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island.

She hopes the Kauaʻi Community College Transfer Center will serve as a model for the UH system.

The Ka Pilina grant funding also specifically supports institutions serving Native Hawaiians.

“Ka Pilina will address gaps in higher education access and transfer support, particularly for Native Hawaiian learners who want to pursue careers while staying rooted in their communities,” said Barko.