Hawaii Community College opens local first-year pathway in Honokaa

North Hawaii students who have had to choose between a long drive, a housing move or putting college off altogether will get a closer option this fall at the Kō Education Center in Honokaa. Hawaii Community College is launching First Year Here at Kō, a pilot program that will let students complete their first year of general education at 45-539 Plumeria Street instead of commuting to Hilo or Kona.

The program is expected to serve up to 20 students in its first year and is aimed at North Hawaii residents balancing school with work, family and community commitments. Participating students will have access to morning face-to-face classes, academic advising, tutoring, student support services and small class sizes. Applications are due Aug. 1 for the fall 2026 semester.

The college is making a clear bet that proximity matters. For families in Hāmākua and North Hawaii, the cost of college is not just tuition. It also includes gas, vehicle wear, travel time and, for some students, rent away from home. By allowing students to begin at Kō, Hawaii Community College is trying to reduce those barriers during the first year, when many rural students are most likely to falter.

Campus leaders have framed the effort as both an access measure and a retention strategy. The pilot is meant to help first-generation students and adults returning to school stay connected to the support network they already have while they start their degrees. After that first year, students can continue their studies at the Manono campus in Hilo or the Pālamanui campus in Kona, depending on their program and circumstances.

Kō Education Center already serves Hāmākua and North Hawaii from about 40 miles north of Hilo. The center, formerly known as the North Hawai'i Education and Research Center, is open Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and already offers face-to-face and online credit courses, early college opportunities for high school students and non-credit classes for personal development.

The Honokaa site has also been upgraded with two additional classrooms, a certified science lab and a remodeled instructional kitchen. Those changes give Hawaii Community College a stronger local base as it tries to keep more rural students enrolled long enough to move into majors that serve the island’s long-term workforce needs.