LEWISTON, Idaho » Although the University of Hawaii would have to come up with as much as $500,000 per year in additional revenue, athletic director Jim Donovan said he favored a new NCAA policy that would allow athletes to receive up to $2,000 per year in additional funding beyond their scholarships.

“It will be expensive and costly for the department, but philosophically I see the need, so I support giving them something quote, extra, unquote,” Donovan said.

A full resident scholarship, including room, board and tuition, at UH this fall is valued at $19,254, while a non-resident full ride is $34,086.

Athletes, Donovan said, are limited by NCAA rules regarding when they may hold part-time employment, “which is why I see the need to help them with something like transportation and other costs of attending school that are not provided for.”

News of the action by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors on Thursday was cheered by UH football players at the end of practice.

“That would be good to have,” said receiver Darius Bright. Running back John Lister said, “it will really help out people who have (spouses) or children.”

The additional stipend would be implemented on a conference basis, possibly as soon as the 2012-13 school year.

The figure would be adjusted according to the consumer price index.

Spokesmen for the Mountain West Conference, which UH will join in football in 2012, and the Big West, which most other Hawaii sports will join at the same time, declined to say how they think the conferences will vote.

It would be left to the conferences where the money comes from, be it individual schools or from conference TV and other revenues. Conferences that don’t implement it could be at a significant disadvantage in recruiting, and non-Bowl Championship Series conferences will find it more difficult to fund.