Keep UH tuition hikes reasonable

The University of Hawaii’s proposal to raise tuition by 2 percent or less at its 10 campuses appears to be a reasonable request — as long as the institution upholds its commitment to modernize student spaces, laboratories and classrooms with the proceeds of the increase.

Ideally, holding the line on tuition would be preferable, but given the pressing needs of the UH system — including $500 million in deferred maintenance — hard choices must be made. At the university’s flagship Manoa campus, the 2 percent increase represents an extra $216 a year over three years. For the 2017-18 school year, that amounts to $11,088 for in-state resident tuition — still relatively affordable compared to many other public institutions.

We encourage the UH Board of Regents, which lists the tuition-increase proposal on its agenda today, to vote in favor of the modest hikes, if indeed the increases will help UH build a “21st century university that provides the absolute best and most modern learning environment for our students,” as Risa Dickson, UH’s vice president for academic planning and policy, has promised.

Tuition and fees at the Manoa campus were just slightly above the U.S. average in 2014-15 among other flagship public campuses, according to a chart released by UH officials. Flagships in nineteen other states, including Colorado, Arizona, Delaware, Rhode Island and New Jersey were more expensive that year, with Pennsylvania recording the highest annual tuition at $17,502.

UH’s community colleges, or two-year institutions, are the most affordable in the nation, according to a 2016 College Affordability Diagnosis by the Institute for Research on Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania. So tacking on an extra $60, as proposed at community colleges for both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years, should not be excessively burdensome.

Given the high cost of living in Hawaii, a college education needs to be attainable without having to break the bank.

Even while tuition increases are being proposed, the university is pushing other initiatives to lessen the cost of obtaining an undergraduate degree:

>> The university’s “15 to Finish” campaign provides incentives for students to take at least 15 credits a semester in order for them to graduate within four years, which discourages the more expensive five- to six-year plan.

>> UH spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said the university soon will roll out a web-based GPS system that will help students map out their path toward graduation. That same system also allows faculty and administrators to identify the classes they must provide and optimal number of courses in order to quicken students’ pace toward their degrees — a valuable tool.

>> Starting off at a community college is a major cost-cutter. For instance, students at Leeward Community College are able to complete freshman and sophomore years of the baccalaureate physics and engineering curricula, which allows them to transfer as a junior to the Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering, and Physics departments at UH-Manoa.

Nonetheless, as the cost of earning a UH degree continues to rise, affordability must remain of primary importance for all concerned.

Students must be strategic as they chart their college careers. UH administrators must aggressively seek new ways to budget more efficiently, to ensure their spending doesn’t outstrip the students’ ability to pay. And the Legislature must continue to support UH as needed, for the benefit of the students the system serves.