The first of five public meetings by the University of Hawaii to gather input on a proposed four-year plan for tuition drew an unexpectedly small amount of testimony Tuesday: Fewer than 50 people filled out an online feedback form, one student spoke by Zoom and no one testified in person.
When asked whether the shortage of testimony at the meeting on the UH Manoa campus suggests that most of the university community and public accepts the tuition proposal, a UH spokesperson said the administration would wait until after all five meetings were completed to draw a conclusion.
The 10-campus public university system is proposing to freeze undergraduate tuition for the academic years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, then raise resident tuition rates at the three UH universities by 2% annually in 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. Nonresident undergraduate tuition rates would increase by the equivalent dollar amount in each of those two academic years.
UH community college and graduate tuition rates are proposed to be frozen for all four academic years.
For the UH Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law, tuition would increase by 2% in each of the three years beginning in academic year 2024-2025, to generate revenue to support initiatives at the law school.
Currently, the UH website lists full-time resident undergraduate tuition as $5,652 a semester at UH Manoa and $3,836 a semester at UH Hilo and UH West Oahu. At the seven UH community colleges, tuition is $1,572 a semester ($131 per credit — 12 credits is considered full time).
Under the proposal, the typical UH Manoa resident undergraduate would see tuition rise for the year by $216 in 2025-2026 and $240 in 2026-2027.
Roughly three-fourths of those who filled out the university’s Google form for feedback said they do not support the proposed tuition hikes. One UH student who withheld their name wrote that “it is already incredibly difficult for residents to bear the financial burden of a secondary education on top of the insane cost of living. Looking at publicly available salaries, cuts need to come from the top rather than passing that burden to students. These institutions need to serve the students from this community rather than the few admin and coaches at the top.”
Kapiolani Community College student Jenny Brown was the only testifier to speak during the meeting. Via Zoom she described the tough financial choices she has had to make in order to afford college. Raising the UH Manoa tuition as she prepares to transfer, Brown said, “is a harder transition and barrier for students like me at a community college level to pursue higher education. … The slightest dollar makes a world of difference.”
Deborah Halbert, UH vice president for academic strategy, who presented the tuition proposal in the meeting, said UH tuition has remained relatively flat since 2016, and even with the proposed increases, UH still would be less than many comparable mainland universities.
In addition, UH’s budget expenditures would still exceed its roughly $1.5 billion in revenue in the three years starting with 2024-25; the shortfall would be approximately $10 million, $12 million and $16 million, respectively, Halbert said.
The remaining meeting schedule:
>> UH Hilo, 2-3:30 p.m. today, Wai‘olino Building, Room 101
>> Richardson Law School, UH Manoa, noon- 1 p.m. Monday, Law School Classroom 2
>> UH Maui College, 2-3:30 p.m. Nov. 29, Ka‘a‘ike 105-A and 107
>> Kauai Community College, 2-3:30 p.m. Dec. 1, Fine Arts Auditorium
To attend by Zoom, registration is required; go to 808ne.ws/UHtuitionzoom.
Feedback also can be submitted via Google form until midnight Dec. 4 at 808ne.ws/UHtuitionfeedback.
Details of the proposal can be viewed at 808ne.ws/UHtuitionproposal.
