HB 873 Summary

• Expands the Hawaii Promise Program to include undergraduate students at University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Hawaii at Hilo, and University of Hawaii-West Oahu, in addition to existing community college coverage.

• Requires eligible four-year campus students to be Hawaii residents, submit FAFSA, enroll in degree/certificate programs with 12+ credits per semester, maintain satisfactory academic progress, and have unmet direct cost needs.

• Provides scholarships covering unmet direct costs (tuition, fees, books, supplies, transportation) based on greatest need and available funding, with maximum eligibility of eight semesters.

• Establishes a Hawaii Promise Program subaccount within the University of Hawaii general fund and requires annual reporting to the legislature on scholarship numbers.

• Appropriates unspecified general revenue funds for fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 to implement the program; effective July 1, 2023.