SB1524 requires the University of Hawaii Board of Regents to waive all tuition and mandatory fees for a resident student enrolled in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa during the semester or term in which the student completes the student teaching requirement for an education degree. The waiver applies only to students who are full-time, in good academic standing, enrolled in a degree program leading to an education degree that requires student teaching hours, and currently participating in a state-approved teacher education program.
The bill also directs the university to adopt rules under chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to implement the waiver. In effect, the measure creates a targeted financial benefit for qualifying resident teacher-candidates at UH Manoa and would amend chapter 304A to add a new statutory tuition-waiver provision tied to teacher preparation.
Impact
If enacted, SB1524 would add a new requirement to chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, compelling the Board of Regents to provide a tuition and mandatory fee waiver for a narrowly defined group of resident students in UH Manoa’s College of Education. It would affect university tuition policy, mandatory fee collection, and administrative rulemaking, and would likely reduce the cost of completing student teaching for eligible future teachers. The bill’s practical effect would be to shift some educational costs away from resident teacher candidates and onto the university/state system.
Sentiment
The available record suggests generally positive or supportive intent around the bill, as reflected by its focus on reducing barriers for teacher education and its referral to the Education and Ways and Means committees. No committee transcripts or recorded votes are provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or amendment debate in the materials supplied. The bill’s framing as a statewide concern indicates an effort to justify state-level intervention in teacher preparation costs.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are fiscal and administrative. Opponents could question the cost of waiving all tuition and mandatory fees, the impact on university revenues, and whether the state should mandate this benefit for one campus and one category of students. There may also be debate over the bill’s narrow eligibility criteria—limited to resident students at UH Manoa who are full-time, in good standing, and in a state-approved teacher education program—which could raise equity questions for other education students or campuses. Supporters would likely emphasize teacher recruitment, affordability, and the public interest in strengthening the teacher pipeline.