SB1524 requires the University of Hawaii Board of Regents to grant a waiver of all tuition and mandatory fees to certain resident students in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The waiver would apply for the semester or term in which the student completes student teaching hours needed to earn an education degree, so long as the student is full-time, in good academic standing, enrolled in a degree program leading to an education degree, and participating in a state-approved teacher education program.
The bill also directs the university to adopt rules under chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to carry out the waiver program. The measure is framed as a matter of statewide concern under the Hawaii Constitution, signaling legislative intent to support teacher preparation by reducing the cost burden on resident students during the student-teaching portion of their program.
Impact
If enacted, SB1524 would amend chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by creating a new statutory tuition-and-fee waiver for qualifying resident students in UH Manoa’s College of Education. It would require the Board of Regents to provide the waiver and would obligate the university to establish implementing rules, affecting university financial aid administration, tuition policy, and eligibility determinations for teacher-candidate students.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript, vote history, or recorded opposition, so there is no documented debate to gauge sentiment directly. Based on the bill text, the measure appears generally supportive of teacher preparation and likely intended to encourage enrollment in education programs by lowering costs for resident students during student teaching.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of dispute, if raised in future discussion, could include the fiscal impact on the university, whether the waiver should be limited to UH Manoa or expanded to other campuses, and how narrowly the eligibility criteria should be applied to ensure only qualifying teacher-education students receive the benefit.