The University of Hawaii wants to freeze tuition for two years and then raise it, which buys students short-term relief but means higher costs later.

• Tuition would hold flat for two years, then rise two years in a row starting with the 2029–30 school year.
• Manoa students would face the biggest increases, while Hilo, West Oahu, and the community colleges would see smaller ones.
• The reason given is rising operating costs — utilities, water, and electricity — after five years without an increase.
• Six people testified against it, pointing to students already struggling to afford food and housing.

Outlook: More public meetings are set for the Big Island, Kauai, and Maui, with the Board of Regents taking up the final proposal on November 19.