University of Hawaiʻi students enrolled in early childhood education programs could have their tuition covered under a stipend program aimed at bolstering the early learning workforce.
State and education officials announced Thursday that they will be advancing the Early Childhood Education Stipend Program at the UH Mānoa Children's Center.
The announcement came after the state Legislature appropriated $660,000 this year to fund the initiative — two years after the program launched in 2021 under Act 210. The Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation has privately funded the program.
"It now becomes our first publicly funded tuition stipend program available to current and future practitioners in the early childhood field for both Hawaiian and English mediums," said Yuuko Arikawa-Cross, executive director at the Office of Early Learning.
The program is available to students enrolled in the early childhood education certificate, degree or licensure program at:
- UH Hilo (Hawaiian and Indigenous language programs)
- Hawaiʻi Community College
- UH Maui College
- UH Mānoa
- UH West Oʻahu
- Honolulu Community College
- Kauaʻi Community College
Students must work in the early education field, teaching children up to 5 years old for at least two consecutive years. If not, they must pay back the money, according to UH.
Sarah Starr is one of the recipients taking summer classes for her master's degree. Starr said she received financial assistance through the program before, but it only covered up to 60% of her tuition.
"As a single parent and a teacher struggling to make ends meet here in Hawai'i, it does become difficult that the extra 30% to 40% of the tuition that is not covered ends up going on my credit card," Starr said in an interview. "So this stipend does cover 100% of my tuition this summer, which was huge for me."
Starr also said she feels she's no longer struggling to complete her master's program.
The program comes at a critical time as the state has long grappled with a chronic teacher shortage.
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke has led the Ready Keiki initiative to increase preschool access across the state by 2032. But she had expressed concerns that there were not enough qualified teachers for early learning.
"Let's be honest, childcare and preschool teacher (jobs) don't pay a lot," Luke said.
Luke said 64 people have applied to the stipend program so far and 10 people received the scholarship for the summer.
The program will be reoffered for the spring semester. The deadline to fill out an application is July 15.
