HONOLULU (KHON2) — For the first time in seven years, tuition is increasing across the University of Hawaii system beginning this fall.
The modest increase was approved by the UH Board of Regents in 2023 as part of a four-year tuition schedule. While the plan was set two years ago, some students say the timing couldn’t be worse, citing inflation and the rising cost of rent in Hawaii.
“Though it’s only 2%, to many people, it may not seem like much. But for a certain group, that might tip the scale — whether or not they return next semester,” said Archie Nitura, a second-year student at UH Mānoa.
Nitura said many of his classmates work multiple jobs while attending school full time, and increases in costs — even small ones — can have a major impact.
According to UH, undergraduate tuition at UH Mānoa will rise from $11,304 to $11,520 in the 2025–26 academic year, and to $11,760 the following year. For full-time students taking upper-level courses at UH community colleges, tuition will rise from $7,344 to $7,488 in fall 2025 and increase again in 2026–27.
In a statement, a UH spokesperson noted that tuition has been flat since 2018. When adjusted for inflation, they said, students are actually paying less now than they were eight years ago.
This weekend, thousands of students will graduate from UH Mānoa. The class of 2025 will be the final class to benefit from the tuition freeze that’s been in place across the system since 2018.
Despite concerns over recent federal funding cuts, the university said the current tuition schedule will remain in place through spring 2027. Any future changes would need approval from the Board of Regents, which isn’t expected to consider a new tuition schedule until spring 2026 at the earliest.
The upcoming 2025 summer session will remain at current tuition rates, but a slight increase is planned for summer 2026.