It was indeed “incredibly gratifying,” as University of Hawaii President David Lassner put it, to see an overall 1.2% rise in fall enrollment at UH’s 10 campuses over last year — the largest increase since 2010. That was boosted by a 2.7% overall increase for UH’s community colleges, led by Windward Community College’s 15.1% rise.

But what’s happening at UH-Hilo, which saw a 6.6% drop from last year? That’s something for UH officials to vet. Meanwhile, Hawaii residents should know that there are no application fees for any of UH’s campuses, which might just incentivize more folks to pursue higher education. Every little bit helps.