Tuition Free Courses at UHMC

By Maria Angst | Community Reporter

The UHMC Molokai Education Center recently released their 2024 spring classes, featuring more career and technical education (CTE), certificate of achievement and tuition free courses to offer to the community. 

Several noteworthy programs include a Basic Drafting certificate program, which begins with Blueprinting 101 in the spring and is followed by a second course offered in the fall, CPR/ First Aid certificate training, a Hawaiian Language 101 course reserved for Hawaii Dept. of Education employees, and a Geographic Information System Ecosystem Management class — all offered tuition-free. 

Additionally, registered students can pursue a dual degree in Liberal Arts and Hawaiian Studies, completing both associates degrees simultaneously in the same timeframe it usually takes to earn just one degree. 

According to Kelley Dudoit, site coordinator for the UHMC Molokai campus, they are always aiming to find ways to serve the needs of the community. Currently, UHMC is assisting students in preparing for a Licensed Practical Nursing program, scheduled to commence in 2025, and are encouraging interested students to initiate work on course prerequisites. 

“This initiative exemplifies our commitment to meeting workforce demand and our consistent collaboration with community members and employers to fulfill their needs,” said Dudoit. “We have a strong focus on the workforce and are constantly exploring innovative ways to deliver classes. So far, we have expanded the number of non-credit offerings to meet this objective and hope to provide more certificates of completion in the future.” 

The UHMC Molokai campus not only offers a diverse range of courses to the community but has also increased the diversity for Early College High School (ECHS) students in their Ho’okele Program. In addition to basic core classes such as Math and English, ECHS students have CTE courses. This spring marks the first-time Nurse Aide courses will be offered to seniors in high school through the early college program. 

For Molokai residents who would like to learn more about spring 2024 course options, certificates, and upcoming programs, UHMC Molokai will host a campus open house via Zoom on Nov. 16 from 4 – 4:30 p.m. (Meeting ID: 944 2495 2138, Passcode: Molokai). Alternatively, interested students can call (808) 553-4490 or visit the college Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.