STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1384

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 66

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Transportation and International Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 66 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO CHARGE RESIDENT TUITION TO PACIFIC ISLAND STUDENTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make post-secondary education more accessible by requesting the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii to charge resident tuition to all Pacific Island students, including those from islands that support degree-granting public institutions of higher education.

     Testimony in opposition of this measure was submitted by the University of Hawaii.

     Your Committees find that until recently, students from Pacific Islands that have historical ties to the United States benefited from being charged resident tuition.  However, the policy was changed and now requires students from Pacific Islands that have historical ties to the United States and do not have their own degree-granting public higher education institution to pay non-resident tuition in the amount of one hundred fifty per cent of the resident tuition amount.  Your Committees further find that although these affected students are paying a reduced non-resident tuition rate, many come from lower-income families or communities whose per capita incomes do not equal to their American counterparts who must also pay non-resident tuition rates.

     Your Committees believe that because these Pacific Islander students do not significantly impact the revenues of the University of Hawaii, and due to the long-standing relationship between Hawaii and these island jurisdictions, the University of Hawaii should reinstitute its policy of allowing these students to pay resident tuition rates; provided that the rate is offered on a needs-based basis.  This change will facilitate a greater number of Pacific Islander students receiving post-secondary education, improve ties between the jurisdictions, and develop highly-educated and highly qualified individuals for the workforce in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its language to accurately reflect the current tuition rates charged to Pacific Island students, based upon testimony provided by the University of Hawaii; and

     (2)  Requesting the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii to charge resident tuition to Pacific Island students; provided that the rate is offered on a needs-based basis and changing the language of the measure, including its title, to reflect this request.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Transportation and International Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 66, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 66, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Transportation and International Affairs,

____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair