HILO — The University of Hawaii at Hilo is increasing marketing efforts to get the word out about its new dorm repricing plan, which will knock the annual cost of its most underused residence hall by about $1,400 next year.
The plan, approved Thursday by the UH Board of Regents, will lower the cost to live in Hale ‘Alahonua, a 4-year-old, suite-style dorm, to $6,300 per year — or about $700 per month. That’s an 18 percent decrease from its most recent price and just under the cost of an off-campus room in a duplex in Hilo.
Administrators hope reducing Hale ‘Alahonua’s cost, along with increasing the cost of Hale Ikena, a popular apartment-style dorm, will boost housing occupancy overall by about 90 students in three years — to 81 percent — and allow the campus to begin covering debt service entirely with housing revenue by the 2018-19 school year.
“We’re starting our marketing campaign today,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Farrah-Marie Gomes on Friday. “We’re reaching out to all current students and potential new residents. So step number one is communicating this approval.”
Hale ‘Alahonua’s occupancy historically has remained low, hovering at 49 percent this past year and ultimately dragging campus dorm occupancy overall as low as 65 percent in recent years. As a result of low occupancy, UH-Hilo has used reserve funds to pay off a 30-year, $17 million revenue bond used to finance Hale ‘Alahonua when it was built.
Students have long complained the dorm is too costly. For example, Hale ‘Alahonua cost roughly $1,200 more this year than Hale Ikena — the next priciest option.
“Too expensive” is the primary reason students forego living on-campus and opt for private housing options, according to an April 2017 campus survey conducted in effort to gauge prices students are willing to pay and amenities they want in dorms, among other things.
The full plan can be found at http://tinyurl.com/HousingPlanUHH
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.