HI SR68

Requests the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai'i to reverse the 2006 policy that raised tuition rates for Pacific Islander students to the Western Undergraduate Exchange rate.

Notes that Pacific Island nations (American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau) have no baccalaureate degree-granting institutions, making the University of Hawai'i the primary option for higher education.

Cites negative impacts of the tuition increase including higher dropout rates and students working multiple part-time jobs, leading to missed classes and poor academic performance.

Points out that revised Compacts of Free Association have limited Pacific Islander students' federal financial aid eligibility, including Work-Study and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.

Requires certified copies of the resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Regents and President of the University of Hawai'i System.