Committee narrows Promise program change, setting program to cover roughly 95% of direct costs

House Bill 2338, which would change how Hawaii Community College Promise Awards are calculated so students can apply certain grants and scholarships to indirect costs, was amended in committee to set the Promise benefit at approximately 95% of direct costs.

Kaheli Duklo, interim AVP for community colleges, and David Miashiro of nonprofit Hawaii Kids Can testified in support, saying the change would improve affordability and help students focus on completion by reducing work hours and covering essential expenses. The proposal would treat federal Pell and state gift aid as primary for direct costs, then allow other scholarships or grants to be used for indirect costs such as housing and food.

Senators raised multiple fiscal and administrative questions: whether the change increases state cost exposure, how common scholarship designation for tuition would affect packaging, and whether the change preserves incentives for students to contribute toward costs. Committee members asked whether Promise should require a small student “buy‑in” and pressed university staff on the administrative complexity of repackaging financial aid.

In decision making the chair proposed and the committee adopted an amendment that modifies the bill language to have Promise cover roughly 95% of direct costs (a partial buy‑in), with the stated goal of freeing limited state funds to serve more students while maintaining equity. The committee also asked the university to monitor the fiscal impact of the change and report back.

The measure passed the committee with the amendment and will proceed with the recommendation to adjust the program’s coverage percentage and require further analysis of any budgetary impact.