If students can keep the financial burden of college within reason, and if the University of Hawaii can ensure its facilities can serve them properly — two big “if’s” — a degree from the UH system is a worthy investment.

That is the conclusion of a report released last week by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO), the research arm of the university that reports on economic issues of statewide concern. The takeaway is that students who complete their programs earn significantly more than those who don’t.

This ought to lead to a bump in enrollment and, down the road, a boost in the preparedness of the workforce to qualify for better-paying jobs.

That is, it should, if the UH leadership is prepared to capitalize on this potential. Judging from some recent criticism at the state Capitol over UH’s management of maintenance — the long-term shuttering of the Hale Noelani dormitory being a particular sore point — there is still quite a lot of work to do.

First, some details on the potential: Lifetime earnings for those who hold a bachelor’s degree are projected to be $2.8 million, which is 27% higher than what those who leave UH without that degree will earn. Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science graduates make $2.7 million over their lifetime, a differential of 22%.

Those completing one of a myriad certificate programs earn a full 33% more than those who don’t finish, nine years after receiving the credential.

On top of that, UH tuition has become more affordable over the years when adjusted for inflation, unlike many other university systems. And tuition will be frozen through the current fiscal year and the next, system-wide, before resident tuition goes up by 2% at the Manoa, Hilo and West Oahu four-year campuses.

Clearly, now is the time for students to seize the opportunity to save money. And UH officials have sought to keep tuition within reach of qualifying students through an expansion of its Hawai‘i Promise Scholarship Program, requesting an additional $22 million in the supplemental budget. But the final result here will be less rich, no doubt — Gov. Josh Green put $3.7 million in his supplemental request, which seems a more realistic figure, considering all the state’s competing needs this session.

UH enrollment has kept fairly stable between 2022 and 2023, averaging the student census across the 10 campuses The gains were small or even in negative territory at the four-year campuses — UH-Hilo enrollment dropped by 6.6% — but the enrollment at community colleges was robust.

The administration should make the most of the UHERO report to welcome more students. One offering should be better capacity for those students needing housing, and the current leadership has plainly dropped the ball there.

The UH Board of Regents’ ask of the Legislature was for $80 million to overhaul Hale Noelani, but it was not included in the governor’s official budget request. That dorm’s deterioration was left untended for far too long, allowing the costs to mount that high. It was never renovated since it opened in 1978 and now a complex that could offer 530 beds has been closed since 2017.

This, incredibly, slipped through the cracks unnoticed by outgoing UH President David Lassner, who took a thumping for this from state senators two weeks ago in the run-up to the legislative session. When his successor is found, better oversight of the Manoa physical plant has to be a top priority.

UH facilities upkeep, in fairness, has improved significantly in more recent years. If the state is to make the most of its university’s assets for the benefit of its students, however, its leaders have to do even better.