UH Mānoa is shutting down its long-running Community Programs, a loss for thousands of people statewide who relied on cheap or free classes in dance, art, and culture.

• The program started in 1971 and runs up to 160 classes a year, with most offered free, reaching schools, libraries, senior centers, nursing homes, and even correctional facilities across Hawaii.
• The university says it will end the program by mid-2027, pointing to shifting priorities and budget problems.
• The college says the classes cost around $500,000 a year in student tuition money and that it needs to focus resources on students' academic needs instead.
• Longtime students, some who have taken classes for over a decade, say they are heartbroken and are pushing back, hoping the decision can still be reversed.

Outlook: Program leaders say they're talking with university administrators to try to find a way to keep some version of the classes going before the 2027 shutdown.