STAND. COM. REP. NO. 939

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 907

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 907, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to make the process of applying to the University of Hawaii more affordable for prospective students who qualify for resident tuition.

Specifically, this measure requires the University of Hawaii to establish a two-year pilot project to offer a free admission day on which application fees for admission to any University of Hawaii System campus are waived for qualifying applicants.

Your Committee finds that many potential college students are discouraged from applying to post-secondary education institutions because of the costs of paying application fees. Your Committee finds that by offering these potential students a date on which the application fee will be waived, more students will be encouraged to pursue higher education.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the two-year pilot project will apply to students seeking admission for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 907, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 907, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair