STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3168

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 75

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 75 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF REMOVING ENROLLMENT CAPS AT CAMPUSES WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the University of Hawaii System to conduct a study on the feasibility and potential benefits of allowing individual campuses to set appropriate levels of nonresident students or, alternatively, to investigate lifting the existing caps altogether.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the University of Hawaii System and the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

     Your Committee finds that under the University of Hawaii system, enrollment caps on nonresident students are currently set at thirty per cent at the baccalaureate campuses and fifteen per cent at the community colleges.  Although the University of Hawaii is a public university system that endeavors to serve students from Hawaii as its first and highest priority, these caps may be too restrictive or even unnecessary and not in the best interest of the system and its students.  Many smaller states enjoy nonresident enrollment rates over fifty per cent through which increased tuition, fees, and room and board charges incurred by nonresident students can contribute significantly to revenues of the State.  This measure requests the University of Hawaii System to examine the feasibility and potential benefits of eliminating or allowing individual campuses to set appropriate levels for nonresident student caps.  Your Committee determines that this study will be helpful in allowing the campuses, and the system as a whole, to recognize the diversity and flexibility of the individual campuses and develop policies that are tailored to the objectives and capacities of each campus.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 75 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair