HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

128

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REquesting the university of hawaii to study the feasibility of permitting certain immigrant students who have not yet attained legal permanent resident status to attend the university of hawaii at the resident tuition rate.

 

 

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii (UH) is the sole public institution of higher education in the State; and

WHEREAS, UH was granted authority over tuition waivers and other tuition related matters by Act 161, Session Laws of Hawaii (SLH) 1995, and Act 237, SLH 1996, and was granted constitutional fiscal autonomy in 2000; and

WHEREAS, certain immigrant students who have not yet attained legal permanent resident status, but who were raised in Hawaii and graduated from Hawaii's high schools, are precluded from attaining an affordable college education and are required to pay non-resident tuition fees; and

WHEREAS, many of these students demonstrate academic excellence, possess great potential, and are among Hawaii's future leaders; and

WHEREAS, many of these students are eligible for admission to UH and would attend UH except for the high cost of non-resident tuition that they are required to pay because of not having yet achieved legal permanent resident status; and

WHEREAS, many of these immigrant students have strong roots in Hawaii and their communities, and when armed with advanced degrees will contribute to Hawaii's productivity, create new businesses, and stimulate economic growth; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has a strong interest in seeing that all of its residents have equal access to education; and

WHEREAS, UH is reviewing its tuition waiver policies, and is considering allowing certain students, including military students and East-West Center students, to pay resident tuition rates rather than the non-resident tuition rates; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, the Senate concurring, that UH is requested to study the feasibility of permitting alien students, other than non-immigrant aliens as defined by Title 8, United States Code, Section 1101, Paragraph 15, subsection (a), to pay resident tuition fees; provided that:

(1) The student has obtained a diploma from a Hawaii high school following three years enrollment, or obtained a general education diploma in Hawaii; and

(2) The student files an affidavit with UH stating that the an application to legalize the student's immigration status has been filed or will be filed when eligible to do so;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Regents of UH.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Immigrant students; resident tuition