THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

31

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO SUBMIT A REPORT ON THE STATUS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS.

 

WHEREAS, the pursuit of higher education for many students is both an academic and financial challenge; and

WHEREAS, traditionally, students who have shown exceptional academic or athletic achievement are eligible for financial assistance based upon their achievements; and

WHEREAS, many of the earliest student financial aid programs were based upon an individual student's financial status and ability to pay for higher education; and

WHEREAS, according to a national report on student aid released in December 2002, most states do not analyze the effectiveness of student financial aid programs; and

WHEREAS, according to this same report, there is a growing trend toward funding niche programs for high demand occupations, yet there is no follow-up as to their results; and

WHEREAS, the effectiveness of tuition waiver programs, which are subsidized by state funding, are rarely studied or reported on; and

WHEREAS, investments in student aid programs focused on students who have a real financial need have eroded over time; and

WHEREAS, in the present era of statewide financial constraints and budget cuts, there is a need to assess student financial aid programs to ascertain their purpose, set priorities, and to determine the results of the State's investment in student financial aid; now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that the University of Hawaii is requested to study and report on the status and effectiveness of state, federal, and non-governmental student financial aid programs presently offered at the University of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this study include data on programs offering students federal, state, and non-governmental financial aid, whether in the form of loans, scholarships, stipends, subsidies, tuition waivers, or other forms of financial assistance; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report include statistics including the total numbers of students receiving financial aid, the total numbers of state residents receiving financial aid, the types of financial aid received, and whether the students completed the degree program in which they were enrolled while receiving the financial aid; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report include the amount of annual state or federal fund appropriations made for these purposes since 1990; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report address how financial aid can be integrated with other university policies related to establishing varying tuition levels for different classes of students; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report be submitted to the Legislature at least twenty days prior to the convening of the 2004 regular session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the University of Hawaii and the Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

UH Report on Student Financial Aid Programs