Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Higher Education and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1158 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the University of Hawaii to award partial to full tuition waivers to all Native Hawaiian and Hawaiian students throughout the University of Hawaii system.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii Hawaiian Studies Program, Department of Education, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the University of Hawaii Student Caucus, and Hawaiian Civic Clubs. Your Committees received testimony in opposition of this measure from two individuals. The Attorney General submitted comments on this measure.

The discrepancy between the number of Native Hawaiian students in public schools and the University of Hawaii (UH) is immense. According to Census 2000 statistics, Native Hawaiians account for 32.4 percent or approximately 59,677 of the 184,187 children in the public school system. The Native Hawaiian population in the State of Hawaii is approximately 20 percent or 239,655 of the 1,211,537 state population (Census 2000). Yet Native Hawaiians represent only 13.6 percent or 6,555 of the 48,173 students in the UH system. Tuition waivers will assist in lessening the gap in educational parity for Native Hawaiians.

In its report to the Governor and the Legislature in 1991, the Hui 'Imi task force on Hawaiian services found that Hawaiians consider a good education as a key to the ability to find high paying jobs and rewarding careers. The report also indicated that Native Hawaiians regard education as the key to self-sufficiency and self-determination, which is the key to leading the young Native Hawaiian population out of the cycle of dependency upon society and low self-esteem.

Your Committees find that it has become increasingly difficult for students of Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian ancestry to afford college tuition. Your Committees further find that it is necessary to offer tuition waivers to those qualified students within the UH system who are of Hawaiian ancestry.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1158 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.