Starting this month, Test Success Hawaii will be offering SAT preparation classes at public high schools on O'ahu.

High school students in grades 9, 10 and 11 will be able to take the Preliminary SAT free of charge this school year. In conjunction, Test Success Hawaii will be offering a three-week program at O'ahu public schools to help prepare students in test-taking skills for the math, reading and writing portions of the college entrance exam.

The SAT preparation after-school program is offered for $180. Weekend courses are about $80.

For more information, contact the post-high school counselor at a public high school. Or visit www.testsuccesshawaii.com.

UH-HILO TO OPEN STUDENT CENTER

As the end of construction nears and final inspections are taking place, the University of Hawai'i-Hilo is set to unveil its Student Life Center by Oct. 1.

"The benefits of this new facility are astounding and will extend far beyond its social and recreational value," said center director Tim Moore.

The facility will provide students with a range of health, fitness and recreational activities. The structure next to the athletics complex includes a fitness room, aerobics, martial arts, human performance testing, a 50-meter outdoor pool, an open covered deck, classrooms, lockers and shower facilities, a weight room and an indoor café.

"Our primary focus for the first year will be on our students," said Luoluo Hong, vice chancellor for student affairs. "The Student Life Center was built first and foremost for our students, and we will concentrate on it being a gathering place for them.

"We will also later explore the potential use by faculty, staff and the public."

Effective this fall semester, students were assessed a fee of $78 to help cover the operating expenses of the center — fees that cover less than half of the center's operating budget, the university said in a press release.