University of Hawaiʻi Board approves tuition freeze for 2 years, then 2% increases

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents approved a new four-year tuition schedule on Thursday that sets tuition rates through spring 2027.

The new schedule freezes tuition for the next two academic years: 2023–24 and 2024–25 at all campuses.

It is followed by a 2% increase in resident tuition rates at UH Hilo, UH Mānoa and UH West Oʻahu in academic years 2025–26 and 2026–27. Non-resident undergraduate tuition rates at the four-year campuses would increase by the equivalent dollar amount in each of those two academic years.

Community college and graduate student tuition rates will remain frozen for all four academic years covered by the new tuition schedule except for the UH Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law. The tuition at the law school will increase by 2% for three years beginning in 2024–25.

The regents approved the new tuition schedule by a vote of 9 to 1, with one excused absence, at the board’s first monthly meeting of 2023 held at UH West Oʻahu.

“Tuition is the most challenging subject the regents face,” Board Chair Randy Moore said. “We are always trying to find a balance between how much can be afforded while also trying to keep up with the resources that we need to provide a quality education.

“We attempted to do that by keeping the freeze on the community college tuition while approving a modest increase in the tuition at the four-year campuses.”

Regents also mentioned that they preferred a small increase now instead of a larger increase in upcoming years.

The vote follows five public hearings at the UH campuses across the state last year starting on Nov. 15, 2022, that were also live streamed. Sixty-two people participated, including four students who provided testimony during the hearings, and 58 students, faculty or staff completed an online survey.

The last time the Board of Regents approved a tuition increase was in 2016, when resident undergraduate rates were increased by 1% to 2% in academic years 2018–19 and 2019–20.

Full-time resident undergraduate tuition is currently $5,652 per semester at UH Mānoa; $3,836 per semester at UH Hilo and UH West Oʻahu; and $1,572 per semester at the seven UH community colleges ($131 per credit, with 12 credits is considered full-time).