Hawaii Pacific University has received a $3.35 million grant over five years from the U.S. Department of Education to support the university’s Native Hawaiian and low-income, underrepresented undergraduate students.

The Ho‘Oko Project will provide enhanced support services for students earning an associate or bachelor’s degree who enroll in one or more developmental courses administered by the university during their first two years of college.

“The Ho‘Oko Project will provide HPU students with enhanced advising, tutoring, career counseling, success seminars and programmatic infrastructure that will facilitate self-sustaining and long-lasting institutional support for Native Hawaiian, low-income, first-generation undergraduates who come from under-resourced and/or under-represented backgrounds,” an HPU news release said.

Participating students also will be eligible for free textbooks and free summer tuition during their first two years of enrollment.

The project will serve up to 200 undergraduate students.

The grant will fund four new full-time staff positions and four peer tutors who will provide instructional support in developmental math and writing courses. Training and professional development for HPU staff also will be provided.

“This Project and the services it provides to our students will promote faster completion of developmental coursework. It will also support increased credit accumulation, stronger academic performance, and improved, timely completion of lower-division and bachelor’s degree requirements,” HPU Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer Walsh said in the news release.