The $10M grant is part of Hawai'i's Rural Healthcare Transformation plan, supported through a federal initiative.
HPU has received a $10 million, five-year grant to fully fund the tuition of healthcare professional students who commit to caring for patients in rural Hawaiʻi for five years after graduation.
The multi-year grant is part of Hawaiʻi's Rural Healthcare Transformation plan, supported through a federal initiative that is investing $50 billion nationwide to improve healthcare access and services in rural communities. At HPU, the scholarships will support students in applied healthcare programs leading to licensure and practice in high-need areas.
“HPU is addressing one of the most urgent challenges facing our state—the growing shortage of healthcare professionals in our rural and neighbor island communities,” said HPU President John Gotanda. “At Hawaiʻi Pacific University, we prepare students to apply their learning in service of our communities. This investment will allow more future healthcare professionals to complete their education and training and bring their skills directly where they are needed most—caring for patients across the Hawaiian Islands. It reflects the pono and kuleana that guide HPU, and it really speaks to the aloha we strive to show through action.”
Gov. Green’s office launched a statewide planning effort in July 2025 that centered on community input for the initiative. Healthcare leaders, providers, and residents across the islands contributed ideas and feedback through meetings and the Engage Hawaiʻi website, helping shape a rural health transformation plan grounded in local needs and community priorities.
HPU participated on Gov. Green’s Steering Committee and collaborated with the State of Hawaiʻi and HPU’s grant consultants in Washington, D.C. to secure this funding.
HPU’s award is part of HOME RUN (Hawaiʻi Outreach for Medical Education in Rural Under-resourced Neighborhoods), the state’s workforce pipeline initiative. HOME RUN supports a workforce pipeline that provides training, residencies, scholarships, and mentoring to recruit and retain rural healthcare professionals.
About 95.1% of Hawaiʻi’s land area is classified as rural, where access to care is often limited by geography and workforce shortages and infrastructure gaps (Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi). Healthcare services are heavily concentrated on Oʻahu, leaving rural residents to travel long distances for specialty care, behavioral health services, and emergency treatment. Rural hospitals and clinics also face rising costs, staffing shortages, and outdated digital systems that limit their capacity to serve patients.
"These scholarships represent a powerful investment in both our students' futures and the health of rural Hawaiʻi,” said HPU Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Chief Strategy Officer Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D. “By eliminating financial barriers for healthcare students who commit to serving the state’s rural communities, we're creating a win-win: students can afford to pursue their passion while rural residents gain access to the quality healthcare they deserve. This is how we build a sustainable healthcare workforce where it's needed most.”
To learn more about applying to HPU, visit www.hpu.edu/apply.
