The has been ranked 11th best in the nation among 41 statewide systems, according to a 2025 .

“Our high national ranking reflects what makes the UH Community Colleges so special—affordable tuition, dedicated faculty and staff, transfer opportunities to our 4-year campuses and programs that meet the needs of our �鶹��ý communities,” said Interim Vice President for Community Colleges Della Teraoka. “From recent high school graduates to career changers and lifelong learners, we provide pathways for every student to reach their goals.”

Seven campuses—�鶹��ý CC, Honolulu CC, Kapiʻolani CC, Kauaʻi CC, Leeward CC, UH Maui College and Windward CC—offer more than 100 programs in healthcare, technology, trades and the arts. Annual tuition is $3,144, and the and other financial aid make the UH Community Colleges even more accessible for �鶹��ý residents.

Affordable option for a strong start

“Community colleges are an especially attractive option this year as many families deal with inflated prices. Students who initially planned on attending a private four-year college might want to consider spending two years at a community college and transferring those credits once they are in a better financial situation,” said Chip Lupo, Wallethub analyst.

The WalletHub study evaluated 653 colleges nationwide on 18 metrics, including tuition, graduation and transfer rates, and post-graduation earnings. �鶹��ý’s strong showing highlights the role of the UH Community Colleges in providing quality, affordable education that prepares students for lifelong success.

Data used to create this ranking were collected as of July 15, 2025, from the National Center for Education Statistics, Campaign for Free College Tuition, U.S. Department of Education and Council for Community & Economic Research.

For the first time in decades—if not ever—the �鶹��ý State Legislature convened a legislative hearing on the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� campus on February 7. The House Committee on Higher Education hearing marked a historic step in fostering direct engagement between state lawmakers and the �鶹��ýcommunity, addressing key issues such as financial aid, university athletics, mental health resources and the UH Cancer Center.

“As a proud UH graduate, I believe it’s crucial to hear directly from the students impacted by our legislation,” said Rep. Andrew Takuya Garrett, chair of the House Higher Education Committee. “We tailored today’s agenda to focus on bills relevant to students, and I was excited to see so many take the time to testify and share their thoughts with us.”

The hearing drew 40 attendees, including students, university leadership and community stakeholders. Members of the UH Student Caucus provided testimony on many of the 12 bills that were heard, voicing student perspectives on key issues.

“This shows that the legislature truly wants to connect with students and bridge that gap,” and Ronald Sturges, the UH Student Caucus president who testified at the meeting. “I can’t speak for them, but as a student, I used to feel disconnected from policymakers. Many students aren’t engaged with the political sphere, and it’s time we change that.”

Among the measures discussed was HB542, which seeks to expand the �鶹��ý Promise Program to include students at UH’s four-year universities, significantly increasing access to financial aid across the system.

Another bill, HB842, aims to strengthen campus mental health support, and would provide funding for three permanent mental health practitioner positions at UH ����ԴDz�’s Counseling and Student Development Center.

The committee also reviewed legislation related to resident tuition fees, relief funding and invasive species mitigation efforts. The bills continue through the legislative process and Garrett says he hopes his committee is able to return to campus for more hearings.

“I know it’s a lot of work for the staff to coordinate all this, but if we can come back in another month, I would love to consider it,” said Garrett.

Recent Lahainaluna High School graduate Christina Paragoso escaped the Lahaina wildfire with her mother on August 8, 2023, after grabbing just her laptop and her wallet.

“We lost pretty much everything that day. It kind of just felt like a fever dream,” Paragoso said, and described the days that followed as “fighting for survival.”

As she prepared to begin classes at the University of �鶹��ý Maui College in the following weeks, she asked her counselor about financial aid and was grateful to find she was eligible for a scholarship. The UH Community Colleges program provides money to cover the direct costs of education—including tuition, fees and books and supplies—not met by other forms of financial aid, and is only for students who have qualified for federal financial aid through the (FAFSA). She credits �鶹��ý Promise with helping her get back on her feet financially.

“It’s been very beneficial for students like me, coming from an immigrant family with not too much financially,” Paragoso said, “I think that it is definitely something that would help if a lot of our students would get that.”

Expansion a priority

Because of its impact, including strong academic outcomes for recipients, UH has made expanding the �鶹��ý Promise scholarship program from the community colleges to its three 4-year campuses a top priority. UH is seeking approximately $12.1 million in the upcoming biennium budget to provide aid to students with proven financial need at UH ����ԴDz�, UH Hilo and UH West Oʻahu.

At the UH Community Colleges, in fiscal year 2024, the �鶹��ý Promise scholarship program nearly doubled the number of students served. The program awarded $5.5 million in scholarships to 3,446 students across all seven UH community colleges in fiscal year 2024, compared to $3.8 million supporting 1,774 students in 2023. The average award per student was $1,600 in 2024.

“The expanded reach of �鶹��ý Promise demonstrates our commitment to making higher education accessible to all qualified residents,” said Della Teraoka, UH Community Colleges interim vice president. “What’s particularly encouraging is that we’re seeing consistently strong academic performance among recipients.”

�鶹��ý Promise scholars outperform peers

The 2024 data showed that �鶹��ý Promise scholars continued to outperform their peers, earning an average of 16.1 credits compared to 11.1 credits for non-recipients. First-time scholars also showed higher persistence rates, with 73% continuing their enrollment compared to 62% of non-recipients.

Notably, the program made significant strides in supporting underserved populations, with 63% of scholarships awarded to students from historically underrepresented groups. Thirty-five percent of recipients were Native Hawaiian or part-Native Hawaiian students, while 46% were Filipino or part-Filipino students.

Paragoso, who plans to graduate in the spring with an associate’s degree in liberal arts, said, “Especially because we live in such like an expensive state, I feel that expanding �鶹��ý Promise would help a lot of the younger people to pursue their education—because it starts with that—and then to pursue their dreams.”

• More �鶹��ý Promise UH News stories:
  Record $5.5M for �鶹��ý Promise scholarships at UH Community Colleges, June 18, 2024
  �鶹��ý Promise, financial lifeline for UH students, a success, January 22, 2024

Higher education is now more accessible and affordable for all prospective and current University of �鶹��ý Community College students.

UH and the State of �鶹��ý have committed $5.5 million this year for the , the most ever. Enrolled students who are �鶹��ý residents are eligible for consideration.

The funds will help to cover direct education costs not met by other forms of financial aid, including tuition, fees and an allowance for books and supplies.

“The �鶹��ý Promise scholarship has allowed me to work towards completing my degree at a part-time status so I can still work full-time without the burden of extra tuition and book costs,” said student Alena Fontaine.

student Christina Faye said, “After losing my home along with my hometown in the Lahaina wildfire, the �鶹��ý Promise Scholarship has helped me get back on my feet by supporting me financially and not having me worry too much about spending my whole paychecks on my tuition.”

To be considered for �鶹��ý Promise, students must complete the . For the upcoming fall semester, students should complete the FAFSA by July 1.

For free help in completing the FAFSA, email FAFSA@hawaii.edu or call the FAFSA Hotline at (808) 842-2540, and someone will respond within 24 hours.

“We are committed to making higher education accessible for all,” said Erika Lacro, vice president for the . “The �鶹��ý Promise Scholarship is our promise to �鶹��ý residents that cost should not be a barrier to attend our seven amazing community college campuses. We hope this scholarship will open more doors to unlimited opportunities and empower individuals to achieve their academic and career goals.”

More on the �鶹��ý Promise Scholarship

The UH Community Colleges continue to be one of the most affordable higher education options in the nation. In 2023–24, the average tuition and fees for public two-year colleges was $3,990, according to the American Association of Community Colleges, compared to a $3,200 for a UH Community College.

Helping hundreds of �鶹��ý students

In fiscal year 2023, $3.8 million in �鶹��ý Promise Scholarship funds were awarded to 1,774 eligible students across the seven UH Community Colleges. The average award per student was $2,142.

Since its inception in 2017, the �鶹��ý Promise scholarship has served more than 8,600 UH students.

“Being an older student and starting the path to my dream endeavor, was ONLY made possible by the �鶹��ý Promise Scholarship,” said Desiree Fleming, a Kapiʻolani CC student. “Had I known I could have qualified or have this kind of financial support toward my dream, I most certainly would have entered college sooner. I can now say that I’m a college student even at my age. I am so very thankful and blessed to have received such a gift of support!”

“The �鶹��ý Promise Scholarship was incredibly helpful for me in continuing my college education and transferring from Kapiolani CC to UH ����ԴDz�,” said Michael Amado, a former Kapiʻolani CC student. “The scholarship not only helped with living expenses but also allowed me not to have to work as many hours so I could devote more time to my studies. …the �鶹��ý Promise Scholarship is a shining light for students who want a better future for themselves and their families.”

For more information on eligibility and how to apply for the �鶹��ý Promise Scholarship, visit .

—By Lesli Yogi

Kalbert Young, UH vice president for budget and finance and chief financial officer, shares his analysis of the 2024 Legislative session.

Aloha UH students, faculty, staff and administrators,

The 2024 legislative regular session concluded on May 3. Throughout the 2024 session, there were a lot of issues and initiatives that were anticipated to dominate the focus of the Legislature, such as responding to the Maui wildfires, legalizing recreational marijuana, easing sunshine law requirements, reforming the state tax code, etc. For things related to the University of �鶹��ý, an initial review may seem like 2024 was a repeat of previous years’ results. However, I would postulate that there are some signs that there are a number of decent outcomes for UH, all things considered. Perhaps, it could be the first year in a trend toward future improvement.

The first place to look is the state budget. The funding provided will support the current level of operations and capital improvement projects for the UH 10-campus system. HB 1800 CD1 is the state supplemental operating and capital improvement projects (CIP) budget bill to fund the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1.

Starting with the operating budget, below is a breakdown of the funding for UH for the upcoming fiscal year compared to the Board of Regents’ budget request approved before the start of the session. What was “special” about this past legislative session, is the progress of support— and, not—throughout the session via the different drafts of the budget. For example, I believe it is a “historical first“ that a legislative body would overwhelmingly support a department’s budget request to the extent that they would fund everything the governor proposed, plus more. The House did just that in the house draft (HD) of the operating budget. Of course, that level of funding was not ultimately sustained in the Senate or in legislative conference committees on the final budget.

The table below shows the progress of the budget proposal through the entirety of the session. This is barring any unlikely (line-item) veto of budget items by the governor. Items listed in red are “non-recurring” and will require the university to request continued funding at the next legislative session.

*Items in red are non-recurring.

Our top priority this session was the restoration of state general fund support to pre COVID-19 pandemic levels after being cut in 2020. Although this was a repeated request for the last two sessions, in 2024, the Legislature has restored pre-pandemic funding to the university’s base budget.

In addition to funding via the broad state budget, there were also individual appropriation measures to certain university units. Below are bills separate from the budget bill that appropriated funds to the University of �鶹��ý for programs or initiatives.

�鶹��ý Promise

A few important initiatives were not funded. Most notably, is the recurring failure to fund the expansion of the �鶹��ý Promise Program for students at UH ����ԴDz�, UH Hilo and UH West Oʻahu. �鶹��ý Promise was implemented in 2017 at the seven community colleges and has been highly successful.

More on �鶹��ý Promise Program

This year’s initiative would have provided funds for the unmet financial needs for qualified students at the four-year campuses. This is notable, because 2024 represents the first year in the past five years where the university’s proposal on �鶹��ý Promise was not included in the governor’s budget proposal. Yet still notable, this was the singular additional item that the House included in its HD in addition to supporting all other parts of the governor’s operating budget proposal. In the end, the �鶹��ý Promise expansion was not funded in the final version of the budget.

Tobacco tax

There was also a bill that would have increased the cigarette tax revenue by 2 cents with those additional funds going to the . Cigarette tax revenue is the primary and critical source of funds to pay for the debt service on �鶹��ý’s Cancer Center. A portion of the cigarette tax revenues also pays for the operations and research of our state’s cancer center. Unfortunately, this bill did not pass and consequently, during the interim, there will need to be deeper discussions on this issue to determine the next steps for the state’s center.

Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) budget

Regarding the state CIP budget, these are the funds UH uses to address major facility improvements and address deferred maintenance. This has consistently been a major area of concern for the university over the past decade. The Legislature appropriated a total of $184.2 million in general obligation bonds for the following projects:

*Items in red were previously appropriated in part or in full by General Funds in last year’s budget

Some of the figures are noted in red to indicate that the Legislature changed the Means of Financing from General Funds (i.e., cash funding) to General Obligation bonds. Although the amount of CIP funding may sound impressive—$184.2 million—in reality, the amount of additional funding support is actually less, with the net effect being a gain of only $19.5 million, as $164.7 million of previously appropriated capital improvement projects for UH was purposely lapsed.

Last year, the first year of the biennium, the Legislature appropriated $101.2 million in General Funds for capital improvement projects at UH. In order to free up cash to provide resources to respond to the devastation caused by the August wildfires, the Legislature force lapsed those General Funds and appropriated those amounts in General Obligation bonds. For the System/����ԴDz� Renew Improve Modernize (RIM) funds, an additional $70 million was appropriated to get to the $100 million total for FY25. In total, $164.7 million of previously appropriated capital improvement projects for UH was purposely lapsed, and a table with additional detail is provided below:

While the condition of student housing on the UH ����ԴDz� campus was a major topic of discussion this past legislative session, in the final conclusion of the budget no explicit funding was provided toward student housing or student housing facilities. The budget appropriation for RIM projects does include recognition of “student housing facilities.” RIM funds could already be used for those projects but would now compete with the needs of all other facilities such as those for instructional, research, student support and administrative purposes rather than having its own funding source. Still, it is positive that there is some nod to student housing included with RIM funding.

The University of �鶹��ý is grateful and appreciative to the Legislature and the governor for the budget funding. Sustained funding may always be a major issue for UH programs and facilities, and despite a few shortcomings, I believe this budget represents decent support in a number of areas. The governor has until July 10, 2024, to sign, veto or allow bills to become law without his signature.

Mahalo for your time and attention,
Kalbert Young
Vice President for Budget and Finance/Chief Financial Officer

• The House draft of the budget, is favorable to UH’s request and to UH’s priorities.
• It includes restoring funding to pre-pandemic levels, expanding �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ�� Promise, and other requested items.
• The legislative session is still less than half way complete, and there is still a ways to go toward completing a state budget.

Kalbert Young, UH vice president for budget and finance and chief financial officer, shares his analysis of the 2024 Legislative session.

Aloha UH students, faculty, staff and administrators,

This is the second of four updates on the 2024 legislative session as we track UHʻs budget requests and the hundreds of other bills that impact the 10-campus system. Right now, about 650 bills of the 2,670 introduced this session are still alive, and approximately 200 of them impact UH directly or indirectly.

The Legislature is deliberating a state budget for the second year of the biennium. The budget process for the second fiscal year is commonly referred to as the “supplemental budget” because it augments what was already appropriated last session for the biennium. As reported in the first update on December 19, the UH Board of Regents (BOR) approved a supplemental operating budget request in November for $56.3 million in additional general funds for Fiscal Year 2024–25 (FY25).

The top priorities included in the University’s budget request included restoring state funding to UH‘s three, 4-year institutions ($18.3 million). �鶹��ý Promise provides funds for students with proven financial need, but currently, is only available to those attending community colleges.

The legislative session can be divided into three major parts. The first third, is all the activity up to first crossover, where measures “cross” from the originating body to the opposite chamber. For example, bills passed by the House of Representatives crossover to the State Senate and vice versa. The first crossover milestone for all bills and the budget completed over the past week. The supplemental budget bill (HB 1800 HD1) passed by the House on March 13 is now with the Senate for consideration. The analysis for what was included in the House draft of the budget, is generous to UH’s request and to UH’s priorities. The house draft of the budget includes restoring funding to pre-pandemic levels, expanding �鶹��ý Promise, and other requested items.

The following table shows the comparison between the supplemental operating budgets proposed by the BOR, Office of the Governor and House:

For the capital improvement projects (CIP) supplemental budget, the BOR requested $331.5 million for FY25 in additional General Obligation Bonds to address capital renewal, progress on deferred maintenance and funding for projects to modernize each of the campuses. The House budget provides $223.45 million for FY25 for UH in General Obligation Bond funding for various projects.

The following table shows the CIP budget comparison between the BOR, governor and House:

Though the house budget bill is favorable towards UH, the legislative session is still less than half way complete, and that means there is still a ways to go toward completing a state budget. Now the Senate will have its turn at deliberating a supplemental budget and that includes what the Senate prefers for the UH budget.

The next milestone will conclude near mid-April when legislative measures (including, the budget) complete deliberations in the non-originating side of the Legislature. The third part of the legislative session begins after April 11, following the second crossover. Bills that are still alive will return to their originating legislative chamber to begin a very intense two week scramble at the end of the session when conference committees begin to meet and finalize the bills. The session is scheduled to adjourn on May 3, 2024.

Please know that the administration, alumni association, faculty and staff and other affinity groups will continue to be active at the state legislature until the session ends to advocate and ensure that public funding for university programs can continue.

I anticipate providing another legislative update after the second crossover in mid April. If you have any questions, please email news@hawaii.edu.

Mahalo for your time and attention,
Kalbert Young

Vice President for Budget and Finance/Chief Financial Officer

�鶹��ý is among the nation’s best when it comes to community college students who transfer to a four-year university and earn their bachelor’s degrees, according to a by the . The 10-campus �鶹��ýsystem is the sole provider of public higher education in the state.

The report found that 58% of students in 2015 who transferred to UH ����ԴDz�, UH Hilo or UH West Oʻahu earned a bachelorʻs degree within six years. �鶹��ý is one of only eight states to have outperformed the national average, and also had a 57% completion rate for �鶹��ýtransfer students from low-income families, 5% above the national average for this population.

“The data is clear that we are succeeding with our community college transfer pathways and there is still more to be done,” said UH President David Lassner. “It is a priority because the community college pathway to a four year degree makes higher education highly affordable and accessible.”

The data is clear that we are succeeding with our community college transfer pathways and there is still more to be done.
—UH President Lassner

Those with a four year UH degree earn $2.8 million more over their lifetime, according to a University of �鶹��ý Economic Research Organization (UHERO) study released in January 2024. A national came to the same conclusion adding that four-year degrees continue to be associated with significant economic and non-economic benefits for individuals and communities.

“The University of �鶹��ý Community Colleges have worked hard to improve transfer rates to four-year institutions,” said Erika Lacro, UH vice president for community colleges. “A number of strategies around student support and better coordination with our four-year university partners have clearly helped improve the pathways to success for our students looking to pursue a four-year degree program.”

UH is requesting additional funding to expand the �鶹��ý Promise scholarship program to UH ����ԴDz�, UH West Oʻahu and UH Hilo, which will lead to more community college students being able to afford transfer to a four-year school to complete their bachelorʻs degree and attain the many associated economic and social benefits. �鶹��ý Promise launched in 2017 for students at UH’s seven community colleges and only provides financial aid to those who qualify for federal financial assistance (Read more about the request).

Nationally, 16% of community college students transferred to a four-year school and earned a bachelor degree in six years. �鶹��ý is 23rd in the nation at 13%. One reason �鶹��ý is below the national average is that not all community colleges across the country offer career and technical education (CTE) (carpentry, automotive, culinary, welding, etc), which are two-year degree or certification programs. About 44% of UH community college students in 2023 were enrolled in CTE programs offered at the seven UH community colleges.

The was released in collaboration with the Aspen Institute and the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center and looked at transfer outcomes of students transferring from a community college in the 2015–16 academic year. The findings are part of the , which offer a state-by-state breakdown of transfer outcomes, focusing on race/ethnicity, neighborhood income and age.

“This scholarship has been helping continue my education goals without the burden of student loans. I’ve recently had a baby and lost my hometown due to wildfires, but not having to worry about paying for school has been uplifting.” — �鶹��ý Promise scholarship recipient

One of many powerful testimonies that are part of the 2023 annual report to the Hawaii State Legislature on the University of �鶹��ý . The report documents the significant, positive impact the program is having on UH students with proven financial need. �鶹��ý Promise is only for students who qualified for federal financial aid after completing the (FAFSA).

The report found that �鶹��ý Promise recipients earn more credits (reducing time to degree and increasing likelihood of degree completion), have higher passing rates (3.0 grade point average or better) and are more likely to stay enrolled (69% vs. 65%) compared to non-�鶹��ý Promise UH students.

More on �鶹��ý Promise

Eighty-four percent of the scholarship recipients would have been unable to enroll if not for �鶹��ý Promise, and 60% are Native Hawaiians, Filipinos or from other ethnic groups underrepresented in higher education. Students do not apply for the scholarships, which are awarded as part of their financial aid package after all other means of aid are exhausted.

UH is asking the 2024 state legislature to add $19 million a year to its budget to expand the program to UH Mānoa, UH Hilo and UH West Oʻahu. According to the annual report, almost $3.8 million was awarded to 1,774 eligible students across the seven UH Community Colleges in fiscal year 2023. The average award per student was $2,142, covering direct education costs such as tuition, books and fees. Since its inception in 2017, �鶹��ý Promise has served 8,643 UH students.

• Related UH News story: Expansion of �鶹��ý Promise would support ‘�鶹��ý’s future’, March 20, 2023

More testimonials from �鶹��ý Promise students

“We are a family of 5 with one income. Everyone knows that Hawaii is one of the most expensive states to live in. The Hawaii Promise Scholarship helped cover all my expenses for my AST degree. Thank you so much for helping mama’s like me who put college on hold to raise their family, go back and get a degree. God bless you folks!”— �鶹��ý Promise scholarship recipient

“Being an older student and starting the path to my dream endeavor, was ONLY made possible by the �鶹��ý Promise Scholarship. Had I known I could have qualified or have this kind of financial support toward my dream, I most certainly would have entered college sooner.”—�鶹��ý Promise scholarship recipient

“For a single parent who has put a halt in pursuing my college education because I needed to prioritize providing for my family and due to lack of financial resources. �鶹��ý Promise Scholarship made my long time dream come true by helping me pursue my first college degree.”—�鶹��ý Promise scholarship recipient

More on �鶹��ý Promise

Kalbert Young, UH vice president for budget and finance and chief financial officer, shares his analysis of the legislative session through the First Crossover deadline.

Here is an update on the 2023 legislative session through the First Crossover deadline, including a highlight on the progress through the Legislature for the University of �鶹��ý’s budget request.

March 9 was the First Crossover deadline where bills had to move into the non-originating chamber (Senate bills crossover to the House of Representatives, and House bills crossover to the Senate) to continue on in the legislative process. More than 3,132 bills were introduced this session, with close to 799 of those either directly affecting or indirectly impacting UH.

The biennial budget bill (HB 300 HD1) completed its deliberation in the House on March 8, 2023 and has since crossed over to the Senate for their deliberation and amendments. Next, it will be shortly revised by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. In November 2022, the UH Board of Regents (BOR) approved a biennial budget request that was submitted to the governor and separately to the Legislature, parts of which were included in the House version of the budget.

The BOR-approved request totaled $52.3 million in additional general funds for Fiscal Year 2023–24 (FY24) and $59.4 million in additional general funds for Fiscal Year 2024–25 (FY25). Of these amounts, more than $17.5 million is for restoration of general funds that were reduced in 2021, and $3.6 million for the return of support for athletics and other campus operations. The House works on the budget before the Senate and has approved virtually the entire request by the governor and added approximately $53.0 million for FY24 and $50.5 million for FY25 to UH.

We are extremely thankful for the support we received from the House in the restoration of the budget cuts along with funding for other programs such as expanding the �鶹��ý Promise Program, health industry initiatives, including expanding graduate medical education for JABSOM workforce development, to name a few.

The following table shows the biennial operating budget comparison between the board, governor and House:

*Items were added to the Executive Request by Gov. Green after the December submission to the Legislature.

On the UH capital improvement projects (CIP) budget, the UH request was for $262.5 million for FY24 and $296 million in FY25 in additional General Obligation Bonds to address capital renewal, progress on deferred maintenance and funding for projects to modernize each of the campuses within the UH System. HB 300 HD1 includes $101.3 million for FY24 and $112.5 million for FY25 in General Obligation Bond funding for various projects, in addition to $79 million for FY24 and $75 million for FY25 in General Funds

The following table shows the CIP budget comparison between the board, governor and House:

*Items were added to the Executive Request by Gov. Green after the December submission to the Legislature.

Legislation

There are a number of bills that propose to change the organizational and operating structure of UH. For example, there are a few Senate Bills (SB) that would change the UH president’s role as the head of the UH System. removes the president as the chief procurement officer (CPO) and designates the vice president for budget and finance/chief financial officer as CPO. UH has pointed out that the current designation is consistent with the standard practice of designating other state department leaders as CPOs for their respective agencies, such as the president of the Senate; the speaker of the House of Representatives; the superintendent of the Department of Education; and the CEO of �鶹��ý Health Systems Corporation.

Another bill of concern is which makes the vice president for community colleges responsible to the Board of Regents rather than the university president. The responsibility for managing this distinctive and effective structure of public higher education in �鶹��ý currently rests with a single executive officer, which is the president.

Next steps

There are still almost two months left before the adjournment of the State Legislature, and we are just about at the halfway point for the session. The UH administration, alumni association, faculty and staff and other affinity groups have been active on the measures highlighted here and a number of others. All of our engagements with the legislators help to advocate and ensure that public funding for UH programs can continue.

The next major deadline is Second Crossover on April 13 when bills that are still alive are returned to their originating chamber, which is then followed by conference committees during the last two weeks of the legislative session. The �鶹��ý State Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 4, 2023.