HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	130
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII BOARD OF REGENTS TO REMOVE ENROLLMENT CAP RESTRICTIONS ON STUDENT APPLICANTS FROM NATIONS THAT ENTERED INTO A COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION WITH THE UNITED STATES.

     WHEREAS, campus ceilings for nonresident enrollments are currently 30 percent at the baccalaureate campuses and 15 percent at the community colleges of the University of Hawaii (UH); and

     WHEREAS, ceilings on nonresident enrollments may not acknowledge the diversity and flexibility of individual campuses within the UH system; and

     WHEREAS, as an institution of higher education, UH is largely responsible for the educational and social development of students, which can be achieved best through interaction in an environment that fosters diversity; and

     WHEREAS, the United States (U.S.) Congress in passing the The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2007 (H.R. 1469 and S. 991), has gained strong bipartisan support in Congress and has been endorsed by more than 35 higher education and educational exchange organizations, reflecting the increasing, global nature of our world and society; and

     WHEREAS, in reciprocation of attempts to increase study-abroad opportunities for U.S. citizens, it would be fitting to enable similar opportunities for foreign and international students; and

     WHEREAS, many small states that are dependent on tourism routinely attract nonresidents consisting of more than 50 percent of the student body, such as the University of Vermont and University of New Hampshire, where nonresident students account for 65 percent of the student body, and more than half of the entering class, respectively; and

     WHEREAS, through such "educational tourism," nonresident students contribute to the revenue of universities through tuition, fees, and room and board charges, as demonstrated by the considerable increase in nonresident tuition payments at UH since 2005; and

     WHEREAS, revenues from nonresident students make possible a wider range of programs to resident students; and

     WHEREAS, the Compact of Free Association (COFA), an agreement between the United States and the Freely Associated States, provides for mutually beneficial rights and obligations, including the right to travel to, and work and reside in the U.S. without durational limit; and

     WHEREAS, a significant number of COFA citizens travel to and reside in the State of Hawaii, and these citizens should be afforded the opportunity to attend institutions of higher learning in Hawaii; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the UH Board of Regents is respectfully requested to remove enrollment cap restrictions on student applicants from COFA nations; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the UH Board of Regents is respectfully requested to report to the Legislature no later than 21 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009 on the status of this request, including any necessary proposed legislation; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, U.S. Secretary of State, Governor of the State of Hawaii, Hawaii's Congressional Delegation, Chairperson of the UH Board of Regents, Chancellors of each of the UH's campuses and community colleges, and Superintendent of the Education.

Report Title: 

Compact of Free Association; UH Enrollment Caps