University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu students won’t have to worry about tuition increases in coming years under a tuition-freeze approved last week by the University of Hawaiʻi’s Board of Regents.
Full-time resident tuition will be frozen at 2019-2020 academic year levels for the three following years (the 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 academic years) under the action taken by the regents. The freeze also applies to other schools in the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi System and to per-credit rates and non-resident tuition.
The action addresses concerns about college affordability for Hawaiʻi residents, according to materials submitted to the regents. Tuition at UH’s four-year institutions had risen above many peer institutions, including tuition for non-residents. The UH System noted improvements in affordability “can bring the positive benefits of public higher education to more of Hawaiʻi’s citizenry.”
UH West Oʻahu’s full-time student tuition will rise by 1 percent to $3,672 per semester in the 2019-2020 academic year under a previously approved three-year tuition schedule. However, the tuition will remain at this level for the following three years under the newly approved schedule.
| UH West Oʻahu tuition under schedule approved by UH Board of Regents | ||||||||||
| 2019-2020 | 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023 | |||||||||
| Resident | Non-Resident | Resident | Non-resident | |||||||
| Per Credit | Full-time per semester | Per Credit | Full-time per semester | Per Credit | Full-time per semester | Per Credit | Full-time per semester | |||
| 306 | $3,672 | 846 | $10,152 | 306 | $3,672 | 846 | $10,152 | |||
Information presented to the Board of Regents revealed that UH West Oʻahu and the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo resident undergraduate tuition and fees were higher than what is charged (under $7,000 annually) by peer institutions within the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, which draws members from 15 western states.
The projections also noted UH West Oʻahu could recoup forgone revenue from a 1 percent tuition increase by attracting more students. The regents passed the new tuition schedule with the understanding it will be subject to annual evaluation and adjustment to prevent significant negative economic or enrollment impact to the university.
“The new schedule ensures affordable higher education for the people of Hawaiʻi while providing stability over a multi-year period that will aid student recruitment and retention,” UH System News quoted UH President David Lassner as saying. “It also increases our competitiveness in the broader higher education landscape as we strive to provide Hawaiʻi with a more educated workforce and citizenry.”
Not affected by the Regents’ action were UH West Oʻahu student fees, which remain at $120 per semester during the 2019-2020 academic year.