UH approves tuition plan to help jobless
By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer
University of Hawai'i regents have approved a plan to offer free tuition to those laid off because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The tuition waiver program could start as early as the spring 2002 semester, but will definitely be implemented by next fall, the Board of Regents decided.
The offer will help new and continuing students, or the children of people laid off because of the state's economic downturn.
If one-quarter of the 13,000 people who have filed for unemployment since Sept. 11 enter a UH campus on a full- or part-time basis, it would cost the university around $3 million in tuition, said Doris Ching, UH vice president for student affairs.
The tuition waiver won't necessarily last longer than a year, it won't include noncredit courses and loss of a job doesn't mean automatic qualification. Students will have to prove they are financially needy to receive the tuition waiver. And in an effort to protect its budget, the university will steer students toward federal financial aid before granting them a tuition waiver.
Those interested in applying for the tuition waiver should apply to a UH campus, if not already a student, and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, available at campus financial aid offices. At a meeting Friday, regents also approved the renaming of several buildings on the Manoa campus.
Rainbow Stadium was renamed Les Murakami Stadium in honor of the longtime coach. Murakami retired this year.
The Center for Hawaiian Studies was renamed Kamakakuokalani — The Gladys K. 'Ainoa Brandt Center for Hawaiian Studies. Brandt has held the posts of superintendent of Kaua'i public schools, principal of Kamehameha School for Girls, UH regent and Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee. The Center for Hawaiian Studies has been unofficially named after Brandt since its opening in 1997. The name means "the upright eye of the heavens."
The Social Sciences Building will be known as Saunders Hall in honor of Allan and Marion Saunders.
Allan Saunders played a key role in developing the Hawai'i Constitution and the state's Code of Ethics. He was dean of arts and sciences, and founded the American Civil Liberties Union in Hawai'i and the League of Women Voters. His wife, Marion, was the director of Continuing Education for Women at UH, the precursor to the women's studies department, and was the coordinator of programs for Micronesian students in Hawai'i.
The Student Services Center will be named after Queen Lili'uokalani.
The board also approved a $455,000 contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers, a firm that will look at the academic and administrative structure across the UH system.
The audit is due in December and is expected to be the precursor to major changes in the system.
Reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.
