Kalbert Young, UH vice president for budget and finance and chief financial officer, shares his analysis of the final few weeks of the 2025 Legislative session.
Aloha UH ?Ohana,
The Hawai?i State Legislature is entering the final few weeks of the 2025 legislative session, when the Senate and House will work together in conference committees to reconcile differences between their versions of the state budget, as well as other legislative measures that have survived the session thus far.
This legislative update will show the areas of budget support (or non support) for UH as the budget bill has progressed through the legislative session. It is clear that the governor and the House of Representatives have provided greater support for the University of Hawai?i than the Senate. The Senate recently passed its version of the budget that reflects a more constrained level of general fund support for UH in multiple key areas.
Medical school and cancer center
Despite support in the governor’s and House’s budgets, the Senate’s budget does not include additional general fund support for the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) for debt service or the UH Cancer Center to address debt service and operational costs.
This funding is particularly critical as federal funding for biomedical research is expected to decline under the new federal administration. Research at JABSOM and the Cancer Center remains essential to improving health outcomes for the people of Hawai?i.
Student housing
The Senate budget provides $252.9 million for UH Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) with a $120 million of that amount designated for new student and faculty housing at Kaua?i Community College. The proposal disproportionately ignores the university’s specific request for capital funding support for existing student housing. While affordable housing is a challenging issue on every island in Hawai?i, the funding approach is not consistent with the request included in the UH Board of Regents approved budget or in the governor’s or House budgets.
The Senate also proposed to authorize nearly $120 million in capital funding for student housing at UH 惭ā苍辞补. However, unlike the $120 million proposed for student housing at Kaua?i CC, the arrangement is only to provide half of that funding in general obligation bonds. The other half would require UH revenue bonds for UH 惭ā苍辞补 student housing. Additionally, there are also Senate-imposed conditions, which would require UH to fund financial offsets of future room and board cost increases. While project investments are always important and critical, restrictions on expenditure flexibility can present challenges in managing long-standing deferred maintenance.
Athletics
The Senate budget does not provide for the continuation of funding for athletics, although it was included in the governor and House budgets. The House included $16 million in additional support for UH 惭ā苍辞补 and UH Hilo athletics, which was also not included in the Senate budget. As the landscape of collegiate athletics continues to evolve and with the absence of a stadium, sustaining a Division I program at UH 惭ā苍辞补 remains both a challenge and a priority for institutional and community vitality.
Position reductions
The Senate budget will eliminate 105.35 vacant full-time and 2.5 temporary positions across UH. Notably, only eight of these positions were supported by general funds; the remainder were funded through tuition and other sources. We are working to better understand the intent behind these reductions and their potential impacts.
Operating budget
As you will see in the table below, the UH Board of Regents-approved operating budget request sought $37.9 million in additional general funds for FY26 and $38.7 million for FY27. The House version of the budget appropriated $31.1 million for FY26 and $32.1 million for FY27.
The Senate version appropriated $5.0 million for FY26 and $5.5 million for FY27.
The following table compares the UH operating budget requests from the Board of Regents and the governor with the funding amounts proposed by the House and Senate.
| Campus | Description | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board of Regents | Governor | House | Senate | ||||||
| FY26 | FY27 | FY26 | FY27 | FY26 | FY27 | FY26 | FY27 | ||
| Permanent Funding | |||||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Make 惭ā苍辞补 Athletics subsidy permanent | $3,200,000 | $3,200,000 | $3,200,000 | $3,200,000 | $3,200,000 | $3,200,000 | ||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | HIMB Positions from Act 181/23 | $246,118 | $246,118 | $246,118 | $246,118 | $246,118 | $246,118 | ||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | K–12 Expanded Teaching Cohort from Act 141/22 | $420,556 | $375,556 | ||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Pamantasan Council from Act 64/23 | $85,500 | $85,500 | $85,500 | $85,500 | $85,500 | $85,500 | $85,500 | $85,500 |
| UH Hilo | Make Hilo Athletics subsidy permanent | $800,000 | $800,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| UH Hilo | Full Year funding for BS in Education Studies and Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education | $142,500 | $142,500 | $142,500 | $142,500 | $142,500 | $142,500 | $142,500 | $142,500 |
| UH Community Colleges | Windward CC Mental Health Tech Certificate of Competence Program from Act 107/24 | $210,150 | $210,150 | $210,150 | $210,150 | $210,150 | $210,150 | $210,150 | $210,150 |
| UH Community Colleges | Maui College Practical Nursing Bridge Program from Act 74/23 | $330,000 | $330,000 | $330,000 | $330,000 | $330,000 | $330,000 | $330,000 | $330,000 |
| UH Community Colleges | Pamantasan Council from Act 64/23 | $196,000 | $196,000 | $196,000 | $196,000 | $196,000 | $196,000 | $196,000 | $196,000 |
| Hawai?i Promise | |||||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Hawai?i Promise Program Expansion | $8,683,397 | $8,683,397 | ||||||
| UH Hilo | Hawai?i Promise Program Expansion | $920,938 | $920,938 | ||||||
| UH West O?ahu | Hawai?i Promise Program Expansion | $2,451,832 | $2,451,832 | ||||||
| Student Support | |||||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Financial Aid Counselors | $904,152 | $904,152 | $199,440 | $398,880 | $199,440 | $398,880 | $199,440 | $398,880 |
| UH Hilo | Retention Coordinator | $37,500 | $75,000 | ||||||
| UH Hilo | Internship Coordinator | $37,500 | $75,000 | ||||||
| UH Hilo | Student Enrollment Management | $432,500 | $640,000 | ||||||
| UH West O?ahu | Admissions and Financial Aid | $213,600 | $213,600 | $37,650 | $75,300 | $37,650 | $75,300 | $37,650 | $75,300 |
| Workforce Development – Nursing | |||||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | UH 惭ā苍辞补-UH West O?ahu Nursing Collaboration Phase III | $447,936 | $447,936 | $447,936 | $447,936 | $447,936 | $447,936 | $447,936 | $447,936 |
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Online RN to BS Program | $111,984 | $111,984 | ||||||
| UH Hilo | Increase School of Nursing cohort size | $297,500 | $595,000 | $357,500 | $475,000 | $357,500 | $475,000 | $357,500 | $475,000 |
| UH West O?ahu | Pre-Nursing Pathway | $424,364 | $424,364 | $107,776 | $215,552 | $107,776 | $215,552 | $107,776 | $215,552 |
| Workforce Development – Other | |||||||||
| UH Hilo | Administration of Justice Program Expansion | $75,000 | $150,000 | ||||||
| UH Hilo | Data Science Program | $42,500 | $85,000 | ||||||
| UH Hilo | Biocultural Science Program | $85,000 | $170,000 | ||||||
| UH West O?ahu | Teacher Preparation Programs | $90,455 | $90,455 | ||||||
| Medical Facilities | |||||||||
| JABSOM | Debt service for Kaka?ako Health and Wellness Campus | $2,725,000 | $2,725,000 | $1,108,019 | $1,533,463 | $1,108,019 | $1,533,463 | ||
| UH Cancer Center | Debt service and operational costs | $6,857,810 | $6,857,810 | $9,476,352 | $9,441,861 | $9,476,352 | $9,441,861 | ||
| Other Requests – Core Functions | |||||||||
| JABSOM | Central Chiller Plant Operations | $63,000 | $63,000 | ||||||
| UH Hilo | Groundskeepers | $101,280 | $202,560 | ||||||
| UH West O?ahu | ACM Facilities and Core Services | $341,748 | $341,748 | $66,888 | $133,776 | $66,888 | $133,776 | $66,888 | $133,776 |
| UH System | Information Security | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 | ||||||
| Other | |||||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Expand Concussion Education to Middle Schools | $200,000 | $200,000 | ||||||
| JABSOM | Focus on cardiovascular disease and treatment | $700,000 | $700,000 | ||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Convert Athletics Positions and Additional Support | $4,519,341 | $4,519,341 | $320,000 | $320,000 | $320,000 | $320,000 | ||
| Governor’s Message | |||||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Pamantasan Council (additional funds) | $175,000 | $175,000 | $175,000 | $175,000 | $175,000 | $175,000 | ||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Economic and Policy Research at UHERO | $480,000 | $480,000 | $480,000 | $480,000 | $480,000 | $480,000 | ||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Athletics | $12,800,000 | $12,800,000 | $12,800,000 | $12,800,000 | ||||
| UH Hilo | Rat lungworm research | $200,000 | $200,000 | $1 | $1 | $200,000 | $200,000 | ||
| UH Hilo | Athletics | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | ||||
| UH Community Colleges | Pamantasan Council (additional funds) | $175,000 | $175,000 | $175,000 | $175,000 | $175,000 | $175,000 | ||
| UH System | Peace Program support staff | $150,000 | $150,000 | $1 | $1 | ||||
| House Adjustment | |||||||||
| UH System | I Hoa Nā Mo?olelo | $179,378 | $179,378 | ||||||
| Senate Adjustment | |||||||||
| UH West O?ahu | 3 positions for Henry Giugni Moving Image Archive | $754,644 | $719,203 | ||||||
| UH Community Colleges | 1 APT and Equipment for Water Quality Lab at UH Maui College | $125,000 | $125,000 | ||||||
| UH Community Colleges | AI-Based Career Pathways Program | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | ||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Reduce 1 Permanent, 0.5 Temporary FTE Counts | ||||||||
| JABSOM | Reduce 1 Permanent, 1 Temporary FTE Count | ||||||||
| UH Hilo | Reduce 1 Permanent FTE Count | ||||||||
| UH Community Colleges | Reduce 5 Permanent, 1 Temporary FTE Counts and Funds | -$491,839 | -$491,839 | ||||||
| TOTAL | $37,895,161 | $38,733,941 | $31,311,829 | $32,232,036 | $31,141,209 | $32,061,416 | $5,099,145 | $5,592,958 | |
Non-recurring items in red.
Capital Improvement Projects budget:
UH requested $381.0 million for FY26 and $331.2 million for FY27. The House version appropriated $229.8 million for FY26 and $43.5 million for FY27.
The Senate version appropriated $252.9 million for FY26, keeping in mind that close to half of this amount is for a single project ($120 million for Kaua?i CC student housing) and $78.5 million for FY27.
The following table compares the UH CIP requests from the Board of Regents and the governor with the funding amounts proposed by the House and Senate.
| Campus | Project Description | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board of Regents | Governor | House | Senate | ||||||
| FY26 | FY27 | FY26 | FY27 | FY26 | FY27 | FY26 | FY27 | ||
| UH System/惭ā苍辞补 | RIM Projects | $100,000,000 | $100,000,000 | $50,000,000 | $50,000,000 | $50,000,000 | $50,000,000 | $50,000,000 | |
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | *Student Housing Services Improvements | $61,500,000 | $57,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $30,750,000 | $28,500,000 | $30,750,000 | $28,500,000 |
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Assessment and Feasibility of Hamilton Library | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | |||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Waikīkī Aquarium Improvements | $4,000,000 | $1,702,000 | ||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Athletics Improvements | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | |||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Holmes Hall | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 | ||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | PV Rooftop and Canopies and Various Energy Efficiency Projects | $20,000,000 | $20,000,000 | ||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Mini Master Plan Phase 3-Kuykendall Hall | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | |||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Admin Office and Parking Phase I and II | $9,000,000 | |||||||
| UH Hilo | RIM Projects | $29,625,000 | $22,685,000 | $15,000,000 | $15,000,000 | $15,000,000 | $15,000,000 | ||
| UH Hilo | Puakō Marine Education and Research Center, Phase I | $750,000 | |||||||
| UH West O?ahu | RIM Projects | $6,900,000 | $5,000,000 | $6,500,000 | $4,500,000 | $6,500,000 | $6,500,000 | ||
| UH Community Colleges | Capital Renewal and Deferred Maintenance | $37,500,000 | $25,000,000 | $20,000,000 | $20,000,000 | $20,000,000 | $20,000,000 | ||
| UH Community Colleges | Minor CIP | $37,500,000 | $25,000,000 | $37,500,000 | |||||
| UH Community Colleges | Kapi?olani CC-Kauila and Kopiko Renovations for Health Sciences | $34,800,000 | |||||||
| UH Community Colleges | Honolulu CC-Technology Renovations, Phase 2 | $32,000,000 | $15,000,000 | $15,000,000 | |||||
| UH Community Colleges | UH Maui College-Heona Modernization | $15,000,000 | $15,000,000 | ||||||
| UH Community Colleges | UH Maui College-Hale Modernization | $12,000,000 | |||||||
| UH Community Colleges | Windward CC–Alaka?i Building Renovation | $15,000,000 | $15,000,000 | ||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Land Acquisition for former St. Francis Property | $1,000 | |||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | 奥补颈尘ā苍补濒辞 CTAHR CARES center | $5,500,000 | |||||||
| UH 惭ā苍辞补 | Magoon Research Station | $6,000,000 | |||||||
| UH System | Demolition of Undersea Laboratory Building (Makai Pier) | $500,000 | |||||||
| UH System | Project Adjustment Fund | $4,000 | |||||||
| UH System | Kaua?i CC – Student Housing and Faculty/Staff Housing | $120,000,000 | |||||||
| TOTAL | $381,025,000 | $331,235,000 | $145,500,000 | $114,500,000 | $229,755,000 | $43,500,000 | $252,952,000 | $78,500,000 | |
*The House and Senate also added $30,750,000 in FY26 and $28,500,000 in FY27 in revenue bond appropriation for Student Housing.
Looking ahead
Given the current state of global and national economics, the State and Legislature is facing the challenge of dealing with the impacts on many competing priorities and limited resources. These are also impacting our University of Hawai?i. Now is the time to watch for where efforts to support higher education programs and services in Hawai?i materialize.
As the conference committee begins its work, UH leadership and supporters will continue to advocate for the university’s priorities. We remain hopeful that through collaboration, we can secure the resources needed to advance UH’s mission and serve the people of Hawai?i.
The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 2, 2025. Until then, we will continue to monitor the process closely and will provide a final update when the session ends and the budget bill is made public.
Mahalo for your time and attention,
Kalbert Young
Vice President for Budget and Finance/Chief Financial Officer