The University of Hawaiʻi held its first public hearing on its proposed tuition increases for all its campuses — though the proposal hasn’t been well received so far.
The four-year proposal would start with a two-year tuition freeze. However, by the end of the schedule, the full-time resident tuition at UH Mānoa would be just shy of $13,000, up from the current $11,800. That’s a 5% tuition increase for the 2029-2030 academic year, and another 5% the following year for the system’s flagship campus.
The increases for the other campuses and community colleges differ slightly, but follow a similar structure.
For the Mānoa campus, the proposed increase applies to undergraduate, graduate and professional tuition rates. The proposal doesn't say whether the tuition increase also applies to nonresidents.
UH West Oʻahu and Hilo’s tuition increases would be at 3% for the last two years of the proposed schedule, and the university said the increases would also apply to nonresidents.
At the Tuesday hearing, held at UH Mānoa, officials said tuition has remained flat for about a decade, despite the rate of inflation.
Kim Siegenthaler, the senior advisor to UH’s president, in a presentation during the hearing said, “What this tells us is that the affordability of an education at UH has actually increased over that time period because of holding the tuition flat.”
UH Mānoa Chancellor Vassilis Syrmos said the increased funds will be used for infrastructure projects and efforts to improve student success and offer “experiential” learning opportunities.
“We are a flagship institution. We have a very robust new student orientation, which we want actually to make even better,” he said. “We want to provide an environment where our students thrive. We want to provide an environment where our students feel safe and mentally healthy to be good citizens of today and tomorrow.”
Still, most testifiers — mostly students, alumni and even staff — were concerned about the tuition increases.
Students, including UH Mānoa undergraduate Cash McCloud, said the increased tuition places a heavier burden on students who are likely already struggling.
McCloud, who also said he was a member of the Young Democratic Socialists of Oʻahu, referenced a 2025 report by UH assessing the “basic needs insecurity” many students face.
“These are students who are less likely to persist at UH and graduate. They experience financial barriers due to high housing costs, high prices for food and groceries, and also the price of tuition,” he said at the hearing. “By increasing tuition, it is certain that more students will experience financial insecurity, and that students already facing financial challenges will find it impossible to continue at UH.”
Jill Nunokawa, who described herself as a UH graduate but is also listed as a civil rights specialist with the university, said there needs to be more transparency about how tuition money is spent at UH.
“Where does it go? You should be able to answer that,” Nunokawa said, suggesting “engagements with your student body and audits of exactly every dollar that comes in and out, and that they actually would have some empowerment to state where they wanted the money to go. That's part of transitioning our next generation to leadership, and I mean authentic, accountable leadership.”
UH is encouraging the public to register online to testify. It also has links to three future hearings for those who want to participate virtually. Officials will hold a hearing at UH Hilo on Oct. 14; at Kauaʻi Community College on Oct. 15; and at UH Maui College on Oct. 20.
The university’s Board of Regents will decide on the tuition schedule at a Nov. 9 meeting.
