Hawaii is launching a $28 million full-tuition program for healthcare students who commit to practicing in rural communities, Honolulu Civil Beat reported June 2.
The Hawai’i Outreach for Medical Education in Rural Under-resourced Neighborhoods program will cover tuition and fees for students pursuing healthcare and Health IT training beginning in September. In exchange, participants must commit to working full time in a rural Hawaii community for five years after completing their education.
The program is funded through Hawaii’s share of CMS’ Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion rural healthcare initiative created under HR 1. Hawaii was awarded $188.9 million through the program in December, and state leaders allocated $28 million of that funding to the tuition initiative.
The program comes as Hawaii faces significant provider shortages. The state’s physician shortfall reached 833 full-time physicians in 2025 when geographic needs are considered, according to Civil Beat. State officials also said in a Jan. 6 news release that 95.1% of Hawaii’s land area is rural, with healthcare access limited by geography, workforce shortages and infrastructure gaps.
The program has received 122 applications since launching in April, and 44 applicants have been approved so far, according to Civil Beat.
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