More isle residents go to UH
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Waipahu High School graduate Sydney Millerd, 17, had long thought she would attend a mainland college but opted for UH Manoa, largely for financial reasons. She was able to cover her full tuition, room and board through scholarships. “The mainland is very different, and there is something special about being in Hawaii,” she said.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Freshman Jared Nitta, at right, played cards Thursday at UH Campus Center with sophomores Jeremy Nagahama, left, Kurt Kawamura, Tyler Butu and Michael Yu, right foreground.
The number of local high school graduates who enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Manoa jumped 12 percent this fall from last year, reversing a downward trend of the previous three years.
The current crop of freshmen at Manoa is also more diverse, with a 29 percent rise in Native Hawaiians enrolling upon graduation from high schools across the state.
“This year we focused on our local students — we wanted to enhance our efforts for them,” said Roxie Shabazz, director of admissions and an assistant vice chancellor. “It definitely paid off.”
The Admissions Office stepped up its outreach to students and guidance counselors at local high schools to smooth the way and help students see that the best choice for them might be in their own backyard, she said.
This fall, 1,241 students from Hawaii’s high school class of 2016 started their studies at the Manoa campus, up from 1,108 in 2015. The numbers had dropped each year since 2012, when 1,258 freshmen entered UH Manoa from local high schools.
Current freshman Sydney Millerd, who graduated from Waipahu High School in May, had long thought she would head to the mainland for college. She received various scholarships but opted for UH Manoa largely for financial reasons and says she’s glad that she did.
“This semester I had enough to cover my full tuition and room and board through multiple scholarships,” said the 17-year-old, who is aiming to be the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Like many freshmen, she has already switched majors, choosing natural resources and environmental management.
“The good thing about being at UH Manoa is there are all these different possibilities,” said Millerd, who represented Hawaii at the 2016 National Youth Science Camp, held during the summer in West Virginia.
She is among a growing number of students of Filipino ancestry enrolling at UH Manoa from local high schools, up 8 percent this fall over last year.
University officials reached out to local seniors in multiple ways, with a public campaign themed “Make Manoa Yours,” a revamped and friendlier admissions website, social media posts and spotlights on the experiences of specific students.
The Admissions Office boosted by 50 percent the number of “application days” it held at local high schools to help students get started on their college journey. It also held an “Explore Manoa: Application Day” for prospective students and their families on campus, where they could meet faculty and students and learn about academic programs and financial aid.
“These events allow us to support our local students in the college application process, which can be daunting for any high school senior,” said Ryan Yamaguchi, associate director of admissions.
A Scholar-to-Scholar Day paired scholarship recipients already on campus with new awardees, and an awards brunch recognized each student for their achievements.
As this year’s high school seniors ponder their choices, the university is offering the Manoa Academic Merit Scholarship, an automatic award of $2,000 per year for first-time students who meet certain criteria, including a 3.5 grade point average.
“The criteria are a little higher this go-round, and there are more students who qualify, which means stronger students are applying and are willing to stay right here in Hawaii for their educational needs,” Shabazz said.
First-time freshmen enrollment overall at the Manoa campus grew 3.6 percent over the past year, to 1,931, following a 2.8 percent increase the previous year. New student enrollment, including undergraduates and graduates, is up by 1.8 percent this fall.
But total enrollment has been falling in recent years at Manoa and the UH system as a whole, as it has at many colleges. It was down by more than 4 percent this year, to 53,418.
Part of that trend is national; part of it is local. College enrollment rose with the Great Recession, when jobs were scarce. As the economy recovered, more people moved into the workforce rather than pursuing degrees.
Another factor is the rising graduation rate at UH, which means more students get their degrees on time and move on, rather than lingering and inflating the enrollment count, according to university spokesman Dan Meisenzahl.
30 responses to “More isle residents go to UH”
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A Hawaii public college that can and does give the successful student college credentials.
Very true. UH is solid and has a fine reputation nationally and internationally. All local students should consider the UH if they are eligible academically. If philanthropists want to build Hawaii’s intellectual capital, places like Chaminade and the UH are the best places to invest in.
Overall UH is a bargain for local residents whether it an at the undergraduate or graduate level.
UH at $10,000 per year in state tuition is a lot better bargain than $30,000 a year on the mainland. However, many families with 2, or 3 children at UH will struggle paying $20,000 to $30,000 a year. Financial aid is vital to maintaining college as an option available to all who qualify academically.
Bargain my a$$, tuition at state universities is almost half on the mainland and even in expensive states like California. But then again, you’re the same nut that keeps promoting the choo-choo and telling us that $14-billion is peanuts.
Source…(click on the sentence below to open the link)
The cost of tuition and fees is reduced dramatically for residents of California. Tuition for these students is set at $5,472 for the 2015 – 2016 year, a discount of 60.2%. Fees are $1,906, bringing the total yearly cost for these full-time undergrads to $7,378.
Will they find any jobs except in the service industry?
Sadly no, most will be forced into the hospitality industry if they don’t leave for the mainland as the inept “D” politicians tax the living daylights out of any corporation wanting to do business here. Some states like Texas have lucrative corporate tax incentives so they’re luring many fortune 500 firms into their state. Hawaii unfortunately is doomed because the voters keep voting in S_T_U_P_I_”D” time and time again.
Yes they will find good jobs. After they work in the service industry. This is the islands. Professional opportunities are limited. Almost all of us will work doing other things before we get to the “good” job.
UH is an excellent option for our residents. 10 campuses will offer something for everyone.
As affordable as state tuition may seem, who wants to start life strapped with debt, that may take decades to pay off? I’ve persuaded all our keikis to head overseas, where they welcome US students, in classes with English, as documented in the film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGpXnSRX2CY
I like your global thinking!
Good luck to all the students!
Yes, having your kid attend a US mainland college can be expensive but they learn an invaluable lesson of learning to live on their own away from family and experience people and culture different from Hawaii in which they grew up. Also if they want to work in jobs that are not based on servicing tourists, they would have a better chance if they got their college degree and then find a job on the mainland. They can always choose to come back to Hawaii to live, work and raise a family but at least they will have the invaluable life experience of liviing and going to school or work on their own. They often will have better interpersonal skills dealing with different people and better decison making amd social skills. There is a reason why many public, private school teachers and UH faculty insist on sending their kids to mainland colleges. And the amount of politics at UH with the amount of money spent on administrators instead of for students is another reason why government and political elite send their kids to mainland colleges. Was just in the news all UH administrators got automatic pay raises but many students at UH dorms have had broken air conditioners for many, many months and UH only tried to get them fixed when it was shown on KHON’s Action Line and it embarrased UH. Also a UH grad student got her arm blown off at a UH lab because was lax and sloppy in maintaining safe lab working conditions. Worse the woman who lost her arm reported prior problems to the lab manager but he just brushed her off.
Exact reason why my kids are in mainland colleges!
My advice based on personal experience is that every student who can afford it should start off at a mainland university. The primary reason is to be independent and get out of your comfort zone and see what’s outside of Hawaii. Going to UH straight out of a local high school would almost be like an extension of high school, at least socially. I’m not saying the mainland is better than Hawaii, I’m just saying it’s different and students should go for the experience, not necessarily because the academics are superior. At even you don’t like it, you can always come back to Hawaii.
Totally agree! Most of my peers who went to mainland colleges, had a better perspective of opportunity and life. UH is a good school, but the limits are obvious in growing and maturing.
IDK, both have it’s advantages and disadvantages. IMO, unless you’re going to a top tier school for a strong major, or going for a major not taught in Hawaii schools, it makes way more sense to stay here due to the cost factor. I know quite a few people that went mainland schools, then came back or mainland schools, then working on the mainland. They pretty much make the equivalent of an UH grad, but saddled with student debt. That experience you talk about will come with a six figure price tag. For that much money, you can drop a 20% downpayment on a single family house on Oahu.
Lot of truth to what you are saying. It’s has a lot to do with the goals of the student and the willingness to do what it takes. I have one in college on the mainland and all it cost me is a couple hundred a month for spending money. He gets all of his own financial aid, none from Bishop Estate, and has worked into a Doctorate field. Staying home, no way he would have got this far.
Yeah, it really depends on the student. You don’t want to send them to a private mainland college, only to have them drop out or major in underwater basket weaving.
You nailed it! Thats funny!
Bobbab: If your kid is a rich spoiled brat where the mother and father were politically connected to a medal of honor awardee and then one gets elected and gets a side job paying over $250K to pretend to work at a bank and the kid attended the same private school as the current Pres of the US and only purpose in life is to get HIGH and post a picture of themself committing the serious crime of destroying a rival politician’s sign; getting a degree in Underwater Basket Weaving at an Ivy league college that was the father’s alma mater would be a SUCCESS!
BTW, where would they get the money for 20% down on a home? Unless, they got a sponsor, no way!
Paying off the balance of a the loan plus interest should be enough for the 20% down. Depending on what your assumptions are regarding tuition costs, room/board, and airfare transportation during the year. I’d guess that many students come back home for the breaks. Those costs can add up too.
UHWO tuition is around $7k/year. Community colleges are less. Really depends on what the student is looking for, but in-state tuition can be way way cheaper.
Which is why I added the part about being able to afford it. Affordability is different to everyone. Of course if money were no object I think going away, at least for the first year would be ideal, but how much one is willing to sacrifice is different for everyone. Also obviously if the mainland school were a top tier school or offered a major not taught at UH it would make more sense to go there but even a school in the same tier as UH would be preferable. Not so much for the academics, but for the experience of going away and being independent. Again, the cost will come into play and each individual situation will be different.
If money was no object, what a relief it would be for the student and family. Actually, a little tight money management should come in play. You know, run out of money, bust out the tuna and make sandwiches.
Students need to be careful with the loans, some of them are structured as open ended loans to be used for “school related expenses”. A lot of the student loan horror stories are from students who used these loans as free money. Then after they graduate, are saddled with huge loan repayments. These are worse than credit cards, because they can be very difficult to discharge in bankruptcy
UH can’t be that bad. Lots of Iolani graduates go there too.
I’m an UH grad working on the Mainland for the past 10 years. I seemed to get some good jobs and helped lead to a grad degree at Berkeley. I agree that UH gives you a lot of value. I would encourage freshman & sophomore students to dorm, even if they are from Oahu. Shidler Business School and the Engineering program have decent (and getting better) placement for internships and some jobs on the Mainland. I studied hard, worked part time jobs, graduated in four years, and got an offer at a top consulting firm in San Francisco. Compared to smaller private schools and even most Pac-12 schools on the Mainland, an UH degree combined with a solid student can be in the running for most jobs outside of top tier management consulting, investment banking, and other high finance positions. I believe that the future is grad school for many students today. Make your name in Hawaii going to UH, find yourself, get a good local job or go away. If you decide you want to change careers, apply to grad school. Use your uniqueness being from Hawaii and follow your passion. If you return to Hawaii after years on the Mainland, you will have a fantastic network, both with working relationships (via internships) and lifelong college friends (and many friends trips to Vegas and UH football road games). Go Hawaii Warriors!
Solid post. Glad you’re doing well! So you undergrad at UH, and grad at UCBerkley?
I got my MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business (top 7 MBA). Just got home from their Annual Alumni Gala at the St Regis in SF. I grad from UH undergrad 1999-2003. Met my wife there who owns a business. I wear UH in my heart 24/7. Represent Hawaii until I die. Hawaii people have an inferiority complex with the Mainland which I don’t think is warranted. Per Capital, we have amazing achievers. UH is and can be a great choice for some of Hawaii’s best and brightest. Local students don’t realize that they have an incredible story if they go off to aim high on the Mainland. “Small town” story in a place that many, many people love (Hawaii). You are instantly relatable. Don’t let long-time inferiority thinking rule out UH. I also attended Iolani.
Pretty much everyone here has said this already. Why go to school here even if UH is a good school? Chances are, graduates will find a job on the mainland that will pay a decent wage.