A bill to extend scholarships to meet student needs at the University of Hawaii’s three four-year campuses remains alive after passing out of the House Finance Committee on Friday.

House Bill 1535 would expand the “Hawaii Promise Program” from UH community colleges to all UH campuses, including the three four-year university campuses: Manoa, West Oahu and Hilo.

On its website, UH calls the Hawaii Promise Program a “last dollar” scholarship that covers financial needs that are not met by other forms of financial aid.

The program was established in 2017 and provides financial support only to eligible students at UH community colleges by specifically covering direct educational costs, including tuition, fees, books and supplies.

Despite receiving scholarships or grants, many students still need additional funds to cover the full cost of their education.

UH said that in the 2021-2022 academic year, over 2,000 students across its seven community college campuses received nearly $5 million in Hawaii Promise scholarships.

But in the same 2021-2022 academic year, even more UH students — 5,590 students who attended the Manoa, West Oahu and Hilo campuses — experienced a gap between the direct cost of their educations and what was provided to them by scholarships or grants, according to the bill.

Students at UH’s four-year campuses average a financial gap of $2,500 and had unmet needs that totaled over $14 million, according to the bill.

UH community college students qualify for a Hawaii Promise scho­larship for up to eight semesters if they pay Hawaii resident tuition, are enrolled in a classified degree program with at least six credits per semester, maintain satisfactory academic standing, annually submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and are confirmed by the campus to have unmet direct cost needs.

Under HB 1535, four-year degree program students would be eligible for the Hawaii Promise scholarship under the same circumstances but must take at least 12 credits per semester.

Dianne Deauna, a Ph.D. candidate in oceanography who also serves as a teaching assistant at UH Manoa, submitted written testimony in support of HB 1535 arguing that students will be able to focus more on their academic careers with less financial stress.

“I have heard stories of students having to work multiple jobs, take out loans, and essentially drastically change their lives and their families lives just so they can afford to get their degrees,” Deauna wrote.

She said underrepresented students at UH Manoa, including those from working-class backgrounds and immigrant families, could take advantage of the Hawaii Promise Program to get “an education that everyone deserves access to.”

Debora Halbert, vice president for academic strategy at UH, submitted written testimony in support of HB 1535 and said the expansion would address the underrepresentation of Native Hawaiian, Filipino and Pacific Islander students in higher education.

“These historically excluded groups comprise approximately 42% of the potential Hawai‘i Promise Expansion recipients,” Halbert wrote. “By recognizing the importance of equitable access, the expansion seeks to bridge gaps and create opportunities for diverse communities, fostering a more inclusive and accessible higher education landscape for all.”

Halbert wrote that a four-year version of the Hawaii Promise program will help both community college students transferring to four-year campuses and students enrolling directly to four-year university campuses.

“With expansion, we have the potential to impact nearly 4,000 students every year as they pursue their bachelor’s degrees,” she said.

Halbert then testified during Friday’s committee hearing that the Hawaii Promise Program would help students with their unmet needs even after they tap into other sources of financial aid such as Pell Grants, private UH scholarships and the GI Bill.

“It’s also about the living costs while students are attending college,” she said. “So this only applies to the direct need,” such as allowances for books and other supplies.

John Bickel, president of Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii, said in written testimony that his organization has argued “for years” to expand the Hawaii Promise Program.

“Too often, the cost of college tuition remains unattainable to working families,” Bickel wrote.

He called the bill “an investment that our community should not afford to miss.”