Posted on: Saturday, May 14, 2005

UH adjusts tuition hike plan

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

In response to opposition to proposed price increases at the University of Hawai'i, administrators have canceled a planned $10-per-credit hour technology fee and are suggesting the tuition increase be spread over six years instead of five.

Opponents had asked UH to spread it over 10 years instead of five, and said the technology fee would have rivaled the tuition increase at the community college campuses.

"Taking into account canceling the technology fee and the extension from five to six years, we have reduced the increase by 15 to 20 percent depending on the campus," said Linda Johnsrud, UH interim vice president for planning and policy, who headed the committee to develop the new tuition schedules.

But student opponents say the modifications are far too little and ignore students' concerns and voices.

"One-year difference will not help," said political science graduate student Kris Kaupalolo, who led a rally in opposition at last month's Board of Regents meeting. "We're still pushing at least eight years, if not 10. But the bottom line is they're not going to listen. We feel we're not sitting at the table as players."

The Board of Regents will consider the latest tuition proposals at its monthly meeting Thursday at the new John A. Burns School of Medicine Education building in Kaka'ako.

In making modifications to their first tuition increase proposals, UH administrators say they are also increasing their commitment to financial aid through 2011-12 and suggesting that the threshold for financial aid for the "gap group" students be left to individual campus chancellors to adjust according to their campus needs. Gap group students are those who don't qualify as low-income, but still have difficulty paying the entire cost of their education.

Many opponents said the proposed increases would drive low-income students out of higher education and force students to work two or more jobs to pay for school. But administrators promise that to ensure access for low-income students, they will increase financial aid from $4.8 million annually now to $22.9 million by 2011-12, for a total of $92 million over the six years of tuition increases. That would provide $20.1 million more in financial aid than the original proposal.

Katie Barry, a student council senator, took an informal survey of 208 students and found that 65.8 percent oppose an increase, with about half saying they could afford an additional $50 to $150 per semester.

"The students were more in favor of a tech fee than a tuition increase because they can see where the funding is going," Barry said.

Under the latest tuition proposal, the cost of resident undergraduate classes at UH-Manoa will rise from $3,504 this coming year to $8,400 by 2011-12. Administrators argue that the increases are on par with national averages of equivalent state schools and are needed to bolster lagging state financing plus improve class sizes and class offerings.

That would put the per-credit increase at Manoa each semester at $34 instead of $36 as originally proposed by the administration. One credit hour at UH-Manoa now costs $146.

Proposed increases at the other four-year campuses and the community colleges are lower.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.