DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Students protested University of Hawaii and community college tuition proposals yesterday at the UH Board of Regents meeting at Windward Community College. Students holding signs were, on right side, Grant Teichman, president-elect for UH-Manoa, and Kathy Rodriguez, a student at Hawaii Community College.

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Students fight
fee hike

UH officials offer provisions
to help lessen the blow of
the proposed increases

Holding signs saying "Too much, too soon," about two dozen student leaders protested a proposed tuition increase that would more than double the cost of attending the University of Hawaii's four-year campuses and increase community college tuition by 81 percent over five years.

"We do know there is a need for a tuition increase but 128 percent is too much," said George Thronas, president of the Associated Students of Kauai Community College.

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents heard about two hours of testimony yesterday from students from all 10 campuses about the proposed increases, which would take effect in the fall of 2006.

Regents could vote on the proposal this summer.

Students from Hawaii Community College in Hilo said many of the students there are nontraditional, including recovering ice addicts and single mothers.

"Community college is supposed to be affordable," said Ashley Cooper, a West Hawaii community college student.

Antoinette Wilson, a Hawaii Community College student who is studying to be a nurse, said she tried working and paying for her education, but found there was no time to raise her children.

Wilson said she is now on welfare and even with financial aid, has trouble making ends meet.

"I'm already broke for the month," she said. Her car needs a new alternator, but she can't afford to fix it until her financial aid check comes in the summer, she said.

Other students said they work two jobs and don't qualify for financial aid. They said the tuition increase would hit them hardest because they already have trouble paying for school because of the high cost of living in Hawaii and low wages.

UH interim President David McClain said about $20 million from the tuition increase would be set aside for financial aid so that needy students already receiving aid will not be affected by the increase.

The university is also looking at modifying financial aid requirements to help students in the "gap group," who don't currently qualify for financial aid, said Linda Johnsrud, interim associate vice president for planning and policy.

Johnsrud has been holding a series of tuition meetings at all UH campuses and said the proposal is being modified to address some of the concerns brought up.

Students also wanted to know if the university has done enough to reduce expenses and raise money from other sources. They questioned how the money from the tuition increase will be spent, especially a new $10 per credit technology fee.

"Will the value of our education increase?" former student caucus President Kawika Baker asked. "It's like raising the sticker price on a Toyota and calling it a BMW and asking us to buy it."

But not all the students were against the increase.

Dylan Nonaka, a UH-Hilo student senator, said: "I understand that this is needed. Nobody's offering solutions. We need to talk solutions, not just blindly opposing it."