Kapa‘a High School seniors part of Early College Program

KAPA‘A — Sixteen Kapa‘a High School seniors earned college credits and were admitted to four-year higher education institutions before they received their high school diplomas on Friday.

The 16 students were enrolled in Chaminade University’s Early College Program and earned 25 college credits before their high school graduation ceremonies, which took place at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Park stadium.

The students will continue on, attending higher learning institutions, such as Brown University, Columbia University, University of California Los Angeles, Chaminade University, Adelphi University, Brigham Young University-Hawai‘i, the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Kaua‘i Community College, Lane Community College in Oregon, St. Ambrose University and Willamette University.

“This program is really a part of Chaminade’s service-oriented mission that is to make higher education accessible to all Hawai‘i students,” said Janet Davidson, the vice provost of Academic Affairs.

Chaminade University and Kapa‘a High School started the Early College program partnership in 2021. The program aims to provide high school students with exposure to higher education and the opportunity to get a jump start in earning their college degrees.

Research has shown that Early College programs demonstrate strong and lasting evidence of effectiveness for all students. Early College promotes both postsecondary access and success.

Chaminade University states the data is undeniable that students who participate in such programs will be ahead of their peers and graduate from a four-year university either debt-free, or with very little federal student load debt.

The latest data further supports the claim that students who participate in these programs are better prepared to transfer to a four-year university than students who attend the university without prior college experience.