UH freezes tuition for three years

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents approved Thursday a three-year tuition freeze for most students.

Undergraduate tuition rates at UH’s 10 campuses will hold the 2019-20 costs steady for the 2020-23 academic years. The new tuition schedule also decreases the general graduate student tuition rates at University of Hawaii at Manoa.

“The new schedule ensures affordable higher education for the people of Hawaii while providing stability over a multi-year period that will aid student recruitment and retention,” UH President David Lassner said in a news release. “It also increases our competitiveness in the broader higher education landscape as we strive to provide Hawaii with a more educated workforce and citizenry.”

UH-Hilo’s undergraduate tuition will remain at $3,672 per semester for full-time students who are residents, and $10,152 for nonresidents. Graduate tuition will stay at $5,868 for full-time students who are residents and $13,248 for non-residents.

“The regents are fully supportive of efforts to keep college affordable for Hawaii residents, while keeping tuition competitively priced for non-resident students who may have considered enrolling elsewhere,” said Board of Regents Chairwoman Lee Putnam.

“The individual UH campuses will handle fluctuations in revenues with a constant eye on addressing the longstanding challenges of maintaining and improving facilities, and protecting the excellence of our educational experience.”

According to UH, the tuition schedule was passed with an amendment that the schedule “will be subject to annual evaluation and adjustment to prevent significant negative economic or enrollment impact to the university.”