HI HB599

Establishes a tuition waiver program within the existing nursing scholars program administered by the University of Hawaii for students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing.

Provides ten tuition waivers annually to full-time graduate nursing students based on need, merit, or both, in addition to existing scholarship grants of up to $10,000 per academic year.

Requires tuition waiver recipients to commit to at least five consecutive years of nursing practice in Hawaii within one year after completing their graduate degree.

Creates a nursing scholars program special fund to finance both scholarship grants and tuition waivers through legislative appropriations and external donations.

Sunsets the program on June 30, 2018, unless reenacted, with appropriations for fiscal years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 to fund the waivers and support staff for the school of nursing.