Report Title:

UH; Student Scholarship and Assistance Special Fund

Description:

Establishes a student Scholarship and Assistance Special Fund within UH. Appropriates $20,000,000 from general revenues and places it in the fund for FY 2004-2005. Appropriates $20,000,000 out of the fund for FY 2004-2005 to be used for scholarship assistance. (SD1)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1710

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

H.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Scholarships for students to enroll at the University of Hawaii are essential to advance the university′s mission of access, academic excellence, diversity, and service to the state. Presently, the University of Hawaii gives most of its assistance in the form of tuition waivers where a credit towards tuition is given to students. Most universities give assistance in the form of scholarships. A student scholarship and assistance special fund established system-wide will allow the university a mechanism to administer tuition and scholarship assistance system-wide and, where appropriate, obtain additional scholarship support or matching funds, or both, from state, federal, institutional and private funds. The student scholarship and assistance fund is established for the purposes of:

(1) Assisting the University of Hawaii in the transition from tuition waivers to scholarship funding to be consistent with nationwide practices;

(2) Directing state initiative such as scholarships for teachers, nurses and other high demand fields through

this fund;

(3) Developing programs to provide assistance system-wide and by campuses; and

(4) Enabling the University of Hawaii to perform comprehensive reporting on student assistance including information on tuition waivers, institutional support, state support and private contributions.

Presently, student assistance is disbursed by campus and department, and record keeping is performed by compiling the disbursed reports. Centralizing the transactions will make reporting faster and more accurate.

The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Establish a student scholarship and assistance special fund within the University of Hawaii;

(2) Appropriate $20,000,000 from general revenues and place it in the student scholarship and assistance special fund for fiscal year 2004-2005; and

(3) Appropriate $20,000,000 out of the student scholarship and assistance special fund for fiscal year 2004-2005 to be used for scholarship assistance.

SECTION 2. Chapter 304, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§304-   Student scholarship and assistance special fund. (a) There is established the student scholarship and assistance special fund to be administered by the University of Hawaii. This fund shall be used to provide financial assistance to qualified students enrolled at any campus of the University of Hawaii.

(b) Revenues to this fund shall include but not be limited to state, federal, institutional, and private funds.

(c) Any law to the contrary notwithstanding, the university may transfer institutional funds from the tuition and fees special fund into this special fund.

(d) The board of regents, or its designated representatives, is authorized to grant, modify, or suspend scholarship and assistance funds. The University of Hawaii shall report annually to the legislature on the sources of revenue into and expenditures made from the special fund no later than twenty days before the convening of each regular session of the legislature. This report shall include but not be limited to the number of tuition waivers and scholarships, and stipends.

(e) This fund is not intended to provide loans or keep track of payback provisions."

SECTION 3. Section 304-16.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) as follows:

"(b) The board of regents, or its designated representatives, is authorized to grant, modify, or suspend tuition waivers. The board of regents shall provide a report and make recommendations as appropriate to the legislature on all tuition waivers no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session. [This report shall include but not be limited to the number of tuition waivers and scholarships, stipends, and mandatory fees granted to financially needy students from ethnic groups that are under-represented in the student population of the University of Hawaii through the Hawaii opportunity program in education.]″

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $20,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005, for the purpose of funding the student scholarship and assistance special fund. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the student scholarship and assistance special fund the sum of $20,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005, to carry out the purposes of this Act. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that sections 4 and 5 shall take effect on July 1, 2004.