STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2263

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3184

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 3184 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII RESIDENT TUITION FEE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to expand the criteria to qualify for resident tuition fees at the University of Hawaii to include high school seniors and recent high school graduates.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, the University of Hawaii System, and Hawaii P-20. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that postsecondary education and training for all interested high school graduates serve the State's interest by preparing graduates for jobs and career pathways that typically pay higher wages. Data on Hawaii's public school graduates reveal that there are hundreds of academically prepared graduates each year who do not enroll in college immediately after high school in the "first fall". As the determination of resident tuition is a complex matter, the streamlining of application processes for residents, especially recent high school graduates, may assist many young people in Hawaii, including students who are experiencing homelessness or those with complex family circumstances, and those who are from under-represented or low-income communities. To assist a greater number of students who may face barriers when applying to colleges and universities, this measure expands the criteria to qualify for resident tuition fees at the University of Hawaii by providing that recent high school graduates and high school seniors are eligible residents.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending section 1 to reflect that this measure addresses a matter of statewide concern; and

(2) Clarifying the requirement of high school graduation or equivalent for an adult or minor student to be within twelve months of the first day of official instruction.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3184, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3184, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair