PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Aug. 5, 2017
827 Fort Street Mall Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Phone: 808-537-6333 Fax: 808-521-6286 HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Lynelle Marble Hawaii Community Foundation (808) 566-5564 (Office) (808) 295-6162 (Mobile) lmarble@hcf-hawaii.org
THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF OTHERS OVER 1,300 STUDENTS RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS TOWARDS A COLLEGE EDUCATION HONOLULU, HI – As a new school year begins, many students will start their journey to earn a college degree. With rising tuition costs, it has become more and more financially challenging for students to afford a college education. This year, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation distributed more than $6 million in scholarships to over 1,300 students to help bring them closer to achieving their dreams of receiving a college education. More than 350 outstanding scholarship recipients and donors were recognized by HCF on Saturday, Aug. 5 at its annual scholarship breakfast, allowing the student recipients the opportunity to thank the generous individuals, business and organizations that have established scholarship funds at HCF. “All of our donors have their own personal story that inspired them and sparked their generosity to establish funds with us,” said Micah Kāne, HCF CEO. “This annual brunch allows us to not only recognize the student recipients for their hard work and achievements, but also to provide the donors the opportunity to share their stories with the students.” According to Public Agenda, 30 percent of students attending a four-year college or university drop out after their first year, and 71 percent of college dropouts said it was because of finances and their need to work. HCF has been working with some of its donors to establish more multi-year scholarships that will provide the recipients with a grant every year for four years, as long as they continue to meet established criteria. Public school teacher Lindsay Kosasa, daughter of ABC Stores executive and past HCF board member Paul Kosasa, recently established a multi-year scholarship after seeing the importance the continued financial support is for students to complete college. “Now, more than ever, students need the financial support so they can complete college,” said Eric La‘a, senior development officer. “And it is through the support of so many of our donors that these students can succeed and finish school. We also hope that the generosity of our donors will be inspiration for the next generation to pay it forward and continue the cycle of giving.”
HCF also focuses on providing scholarship support to first-generation college students, who will be the first in their families to attend college, through the First Generation Community Scholarship Fund. Chante Carter received the HCF First Generation Community Scholarship and is currently studying at Chaminade University to obtain her bachelor’s degree in nursing. “My family is very proud of me, but they aren’t able to afford to support my education, so every dollar that I received in scholarships has helped to support my dream of becoming a nurse one day,” said Carter. At Saturday’s event, HCF also launched its Instagram account (@HawaiiCommunityFoundation) and promoted a new campaign to encourage the student scholarship recipients to commit to being philanthropic. The “I am Phil” (…anthropic) campaign encouraged the students to post to Instagram from the event’s photo booths for a chance to win one of five prizes of a $100 donation in their name to a nonprofit of their choice. HCF is the third largest private provider of scholarships in the state and has distributed nearly $60 million in scholarships over the past 15 years. HCF administers over 200 scholarships on behalf its donors and clients. Each year, students fill out one online application to be matched to multiple scholarship opportunities. For more information, please visit HCF’s website here. ### With 100 years of community service, the Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF) is the leading philanthropic institution in the state. HCF is a steward of more than 800 funds, created by donors who desire to transform lives and improve communities. In 2016, HCF distributed over $47 million in grants and contracts statewide on behalf of its donors and clients.