This is good news for Big Island families, since new federal funding will help hundreds of middle and high schoolers get ready for college.

• UH Manoa secured about $4.4 million in federal funding for a seven-year program supporting roughly 850 students on Hawaii Island.
• The money pays for tutoring starting in seventh grade, along with college credit opportunities, career experiences, and help figuring out how to pay for college.
• The goal is to get these students into UH Manoa or any other two-year or four-year school in the state.
• The bigger aim is for students to get a good education and then stay in Hawaii to work and contribute to their communities.

Outlook: The program will run for seven years, steadily guiding this group of Big Island students from middle school through college enrollment.