Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 8, 1 August 1993 — ʻAha ʻŌpio was genesis for tuition waiver bill [ARTICLE]

ʻAha ʻŌpio was genesis for tuition waiver bill

. . byJefTCIark _What's the point of the 'Aha 'Ōpio kids learning to draft, debate and pass bills like they're legislators? For one. it's good leadership practice: if and whea they enter the real polūieal arena, they 'il be ready and theyTl be effective. And sometimes what"they do goes beyond play-acting and becomes real. This year the state Legislature passed a iaw al!owing a small number of Hawaiians to atteod schools tn the University of Hawai'i system for free. This tuition waiver for Hawaiians began with the second 'Aha 'Opio, held in 1989. Those pioneering politicos, led by Loveymae Tagaiicod and Maria Aniu (who intro-

duced the b i 1 i > , passed 'Aha 'Ōpio Senate Bil! 1001, "Making an appropriation for college assistance fund for Hawaiian youth." The act cailed for money to be set aside for scholarships, grants and other Onaneial asstslanee in their pursuit of higher education. Five years later, the Legislature passed iegislation providing 250 college tuition waivers for Hawaiians. Senate Bill 1 137, "Relating to Tuition Waivers," was signed into law as Act 360 by Gov. John Waihe'e on July 1. As reported in the July issue of Ka Wai Ola, students with graduate or undergraduate status in good sianding and who had a financia! need were eligible to apply for the waivers. According to OHA education

Legislature several sessions ago It went nowhere the first two years, the next year a resolution cailing foc a study of the issue kille n kir W4ivcr tiuru<iuvctx Recalls Rodenhurst, "It was an tdea thaf Ihe kids had when they innocently asked, 'Yeah, why not tuition waivers for Hawaiians?' Then we worked on it, we he!ped get the legislation introdueed, rV, , \ A f U ^ L ,, ,, T , 1 1 n ,-v iuoie peopie ^oi on ine DanQW3.g' on ... When we decided to take the kids' bill and do something wilh it, we thought it would take many years. It did lake time buī it

didn't take as many years as we thought it would." And it all started when some students thinking about how they would pay for coilege talked story at 'Aha 'Ōpio. The deadline to apply for a tuition waiver for the 1993-94 schoo! year was July 23, but there are other avenues sfill open. For information, contacf Kua'ana Student Services at 956-2644, the Center for Adults Retuming to Education at ,956-6469, Operation Manōng at 956-7348, Wom4n's Studies at 956-7464, the UjHM Children's Center at 956-7963, or the University of Hawai'i-Mānoa Einaneial Aid Office at 956-7251.