Posted on: Tuesday, May 13, 2003

EDITORIAL
UH tuition should go up, but carefully

There was something quite profound about the admissions philosophy that drove the University of Hawai'i since the early post-statehood years.

Politically and educationally, the philosophy was that the university should be accessible to any Island student qualified to study there. That translated, in practical terms, to a tuition policy that put UH tuition and fees among the lowest in the country, particularly for institutions of comparable size and academic standing.

That philosophy continues today, although tuition has been steadily creeping up as state general fund support flattened out and the university gained autonomy to manage its own affairs.

Now, with budget shortfalls looming and the prospect of new state support dim at best, the university is looking at substantial tuition increases to keep its operating budget in balance.

Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Deane Neubauer has presented the Board of Regents with a smorgasbord of proposals to increase income, ranging from higher tuition to reduction in the number of tuition waivers offered incoming students.

Right now, UH-Manoa's tuition is ranked 17th out of 19 state universities considered to be peer institutions. That suggests that tuition could be raised substantially and still reflect a bargain, considering the quality of education offered by UH.

Our concern is that the prospect of lowering that very quality, through diminished course offerings or limited programs, might be seen as a way out of the budget squeeze.

That makes no long-term sense. The University of Hawai'i must continue to grow and improve. That will take money and, to the degree necessary, it means charging a higher price for admission.

So some boost in tuition seems inevitable and sensible. As that prospect is being discussed, however, it is crucial that the regents not lose sight of the social philosophy that drove our original cost structure. On this isolated island state, we need a first-class university, but it must also be a university that our local students can afford to attend.