HI HB857

Board of Regents shall waive tuition for community college students who meet specified criteria, including being a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, Hawaii resident for 12+ months, high school graduate in Hawaii, full-time enrolled student under age 26, and maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

Eligible non-citizens include U.S. permanent residents, conditional permanent residents, refugees, asylees, parolees, and Cuban-Haitian entrants as documented by Department of Homeland Security.

Appropriates $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2017-2018 and $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2018-2019 to fund tuition waivers for qualifying community college students.

Unexpended funds shall not lapse and may be used for tuition waivers for other University of Hawaii system students who meet the same eligibility criteria, with any remaining balance lapsing to the general fund on June 30, 2020.

Effective date is July 1, 2017.