Native Hawaiian educational programs to get $41 million

Educational programs for Native Hawaiians are to receive more than $41 million in federal funding this fiscal year.

According to a news release from U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye’s office on Monday, the programs include early and pre-school education, Hawaiian language immersion curriculum, higher education scholarships and culturally targeted drug prevention.

The funds are to be awarded on a competitive basis to institutions serving Native Hawaiians in Hawaii.

Inouye says in a statement Native Hawaiians confront a variety of educational challenges and the money can help provide the education students need to succeed.