On March 11 the Senate Committee on Higher Education passed House Bill 1171, which would allow the University of Hawaii Board of Regents to use money in the University of Hawaii Tuition and Fee Special Fund for student aid in response to an emergency or disaster declared by the governor.

Deborah Halbert, the university's vice president for academic strategy, testified that the university supports the bill and that Associate Vice President Farrah Gomes could address technical questions. Ronald (Arnold) Sturgis, representing the University of Hawaii Student Caucus, testified in strong support and said students view the bill favorably because it provides an existing mechanism for urgent student aid without requiring a new appropriation. "As students... we kind of see this as a really nice bill because it asks for no appropriations," Sturgis said.

Committee discussion clarified that a prior four‑year tuition promise for some Lahaina students after the wildfires was funded by private donor foundation dollars, not this fund. Farrah Gomes confirmed on the record that the Lahaina tuition support cited in testimony came from foundation gifts, not the Tuition and Fee Special Fund.

Nut graf: The bill expands the Board of Regents' authority to deploy tuition‑fund resources for student aid in governor‑declared emergencies; student leaders supported the change and the committee approved the measure without amendment.

Ending: The committee adopted HB 1171 as recommended and will advance it; the transcript records that the measure does not create a new ongoing appropriation and that it applies to current University of Hawaii students in emergency circumstances.