UH tuition to rise 140% over 6 years

By Beverly Creamer Advertiser Education Writer
Calling it a tough but necessary decision, University of Hawai'i Regents voted unanimously yesterday to approve the biggest tuition increase ever for the state's public college system.
Under the increase, resident undergraduate tuition at the flagship Manoa campus will more than double by the year 2011 — from $3,504 to $8,400 a year — beginning with a $408 increase per semester effective in fall 2006. Increases at the other campuses will be smaller.
That amounts to about $100 per month more every year through 2011-12 for school at Manoa; $66 a month more for school at UH-Hilo every year; $60 a month more at UH-West O'ahu every year and about $30 more a month at a community college each year.
Regents said the increase was needed to bring costs closer in line with those of Mainland peer institutions and give the university the resources to hire tenure-track faculty instead of lecturers, reduce class sizes, add additional classes, fix decrepit laboratories and increase security and financial aid.
The result will be an additional $413 million in revenue through 2011-12, with the university ending up collecting about $200 million annually from tuition rather than $90 million now.
"This is going to improve the opportunities for students," board vice chairwoman Kitty Lagareta said in voting for the increase.
"It's a tough, tough decision," she said. "But ... I believe in my heart this is the right thing to do for the long term."
Grant Teichman, incoming student body president at Manoa, said the regents weren't listening to what the students said they could pay — $50 to $150 more per semester.

Complete Story: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/May/20/ln/ln01p.html