A University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo representative asked the Senate Committee on Higher Education to fund a retention coordinator, an internship coordinator and an enrollment‑management initiative as part of SB636. The campus said the request aims to reverse a multi‑year enrollment decline.

"This spring, we're at about 2,500," said Kaleiro Poza of UH Hilo. She told senators the campus had recently used tuition reserve funds for one‑time investments but seeks sustained appropriations for staff and operating support. When asked for the campus retention rate, Poza said, "For the fall 2023 cohort, that number is 72.8% from first to second year."

Committee members repeatedly pressed for a clear enrollment strategy and results. Senator Hashimoto asked whether the campus had proposed using tuition revenue to fund these positions; Poza replied that tuition‑revenue growth would be reinvested on campus against strategic priorities, and the campus targets enrollment growth of 3–5% under its strategic enrollment plan. At one point a senator urged UH Hilo to show how existing tuition reserves had been used and to provide fuller enrollment trend data before the measure proceeds to the budget committee.

The bill's request included two specified coordinator positions and a $432,000 line (as presented in testimony) for an enrollment‑management initiative that would fund positions such as a customer relations manager, data analysts and IT support to integrate data for recruitment and retention work. The campus said internships were considered part of retention strategy because internships "provide experiences for students to hands on learning experiences" and could boost persistence.

The committee recommended an SD1 with technical non‑substantive amendments, blanked appropriation amounts in the bill text and noted the committee would expect UH Hilo to report requested enrollment breakdowns (online, part‑time, high‑school dual‑enrollment) and the status of any tuition reserves used prior to further appropriations.