HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The cost of living in Hawaii continues to be among the highest in the country, with students who already pay thousands in tuition feeling the strain.
Hawaii lawmakers and advocates are backing a bill that could alleviate financial stress, specifically for college students.
The Hawaii Promise scholarship for community college students is designed to fill remaining financial gaps, while requiring students to cover some costs.
The scholarship currently operates as a last-dollar scholarship which covers the remaining tuition and fee gaps after other federal, state, and institutional grants are applied.
House Bill 2338 would allow Hawaii Promise to cover 95% of tuition and fees and would exclude grants or other scholarships from the calculation, allowing those funds to be used for the cost of basic needs like housing, transportation, or food.
“It is so important now more than ever for the Hawaii Promise scholarship to be something that does not penalize students when they are going out and trying to help cover some of their basic needs,” said David Sun-Miyashiro, Executive Director of HawaiiKidsCAN.
The scholarship was established in 2017 and has since served more than 12,000 University of Hawaii Community College students and, in 2024 alone, has distributed over $5 million to students.
Hawaii lawmakers have also introduce bills such as House Bill 619 to make financial literacy courses accessible to students in public schools.
However most of the bills died early in the legislative session or were carried over from the 2025 legislative session with no action was taken on them.
“As a state, when we say something like a promise, we really should make it a promise to support our kids and support them for trying to better their lives and their careers so they can afford to stay in the state,” said Sun-Miyashiro.
Lui Hokoana, interim vice president for the University of Hawaii Community Colleges, says students can stay enrolled and complete their education without being forced to choose between school and basic survival.
Sun-Miyashiro says the cost of college goes beyond tuition and fees.
The 2025 Basic Needs survey results showed that of the 2,700 students surveyed, roughly one in five students stated they have no safe place to stay or sleep. Around four in 10 surveyed stated that they felt hungry in the last 12 months but did not have money to buy food.
Regardless of students financial status, many lack a major life skill.
Financial literacy is often called out as one of students’ top interests and needs, especially when graduating into uncertain times.
UH Manoa had a financial literacy program that began in the early 2000s; however, it is no longer active, and the website is informational only.
A financial literacy class is available, but only to Shidler College of Business students.
Summer Lee, faculty advisor for the Certified Financial Planner Track at the Shidler College of Business, teaches the finance department’s FIN 301 Personal Finance class.
Lee defines financial literacy as understanding your financial knowledge gaps, setting financial goals of your own, and knowing how to find the necessary information or experts to achieve those goals.
FIN 301, teaches essential techniques for handling personal financial decisions.
The class is only offered for Shidler College of Business students.
Every semester, Lee receives emails from students in other majors who would like an override to take the class.
“I get emails from students all the time saying, ‘Can I please get an override to this course? I want to learn this stuff’,” said Lee. “Quite frankly, it kills me, because I want this to be out to everybody.”
Those that can take the class say it has impacted both positivity professional development and personal financial literacy.
“Beyond the classroom, the material has been instrumental in preparing me for my future career and the upcoming financial advisor qualification exams,” said Mikaela Dukelow, student of FIN 301. “It has provided me with a solid foundation and the confidence to pursue these professional milestones.”
The state library is tackling the issue as well.
Stacey Aldrich, State Librarian of the Hawaii State Public Library System, emphasized the importance of basic money management skills, sharing personal experiences about writing checks and using credit cards.
“I remember my mom teaching me how to write checks, which we don’t do much of anymore,” said Aldrich. “And teaching me about the fact that if you have checks, it doesn’t mean you have money.”
They also received a grant in 2014 to create a website that has interactive learning modules for kids and young adults.
The Bank of Hawaii teaches financial literacy to students through in‑person school presentations, SmartMoney lesson days, and the nonprofit Junior Achievements.
“We have seen strong evidence that students who participate in financial literacy programs gain greater confidence, understanding, and awareness around money management,” said Lono Kealoha, senior vice president and director of community and employee engagement of Bank of Hawaii.
While they do not track students’ long‑term financial behavior after graduation, bank official show that research consistently shows early financial education has been linked to more responsible financial habits as adults.
Some regard graduation as marking the start of a young adults making meaningful financial decisions, yet many are doing so without clear guidance.
“We tend to frame this as a lack of financial literacy, but it’s really a gap in decision-making support. Without addressing that, early choices can quietly shape financial outcomes for years,” said Stanley Wei, CEO of Pine AI.
As Hawaii lawmakers consider expanding the Hawaii Promise scholarship, supporters say the goal is simple: keep students in school and keep local families from having to choose between education and basic needs.
With most financial literacy measures stalling in the legislature, advocates say long-term solutions will still require sustained investment in funding and teaching students the money skills they’ll need for a lifetime.
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