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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, March 13, 2009

UH-Manoa more than justifies funding

By Greg Wiles
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

The University of Hawai'i-Manoa is a sort of self-contained cash cow. For every dollar the campus gets from the state General Fund, it generates many times that amount in revenue and state taxes.

ADVERTISER LIBRARY PHOTO | 2005

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The University of Hawai'i's Manoa campus generates far more in economic activity compared to the amount of state money it receives, a new report shows.

The study by the University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization notes the state General Fund provided $299 million of the Manoa campus' budget during the 2007 fiscal year, but that when everything associated with the campus is considered, the economic activity results in many times that in terms of spending and worker earnings.

"Every dollar of the General Fund spending on UHM translates into $6.34 of total business sales, $3.21 of employee earnings, and 35 cents of state taxes in Hawai'i," said the report funded by the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's Office of vice Chancellor for Administration, Finance & Operations.

"Every $1 million of general funds spent on UHM generates 73 jobs in the economy."

The report goes beyond prior efforts that have measured the economic impact of the entire University of Hawai'i system, which has 10 campuses. Kimberly Burnett, one of the report authors, said noted that some people have questioned the timing of the report given the current state budget crisis. But she said it was commissioned about a year ago before the current budget woes.

The authors found that the $299 million in state support for the Manoa campus was part of $861 million it received when government research and training grants, bookstore and other revenues, tuition and fees and federal matching grants are included.

When spending by the University of Hawai'i Foundation and the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i is added, the total spending comes to $1.3 billion, of which 1.08 billion is spent in the state.

The report further examined the "multiplier" effect this money has as it trickles through the economy along with the impact of other off-campus spending by students.

It determined the $1.3 billion in expenditures generated $1.9 billion in local business sales and $959 million in employee earnings and 21,700 jobs.

It also generated $105 million in state tax revenues, the report said.

Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.