Graduation is supposed to be a time of celebrating academic achievement, but for Hawaiʻi high school seniors, it might soon also be a time of stressing over increased costs. Honolulu Civil Beat reports that the Department of Education is considering raising fees for student activities and graduation attire for the first time in over a decade. Specifically, the department is looking to potentially jack up the price of graduating in cap and gown—now quaintly just $25—to a budget-busting $125.
These possible changes are pending just in time to likely impact students starting next fall. In a move that would easily add $10 to current dues, club fees, and more, the Board of Education's Finance and Infrastructure Committee is set to review proposals today. Presently, these fees help to slightly subsidize things such as proms and field days, and if the full board gives it the green light, costs would start ranging from $15 to $20 starting in fall 2026, according to Hawaii News Now.
Remarkably, it's been since 2011 that high schools have been able to charge a max of $25 for graduation gear per Department of Education Superintendent Keith Hayashi's memo. Given the decay of purchasing power, some argue that these costs haven't been able to properly keep pace with inflation. As board member Ken Kuraya put it, "The student activity fees haven’t kept up with inflation," he told Honolulu Civil Beat. "It’s challenging to continue paying for all of these things at the school level."
For students already shouldering the weight of multiple after-school activities, those additional costs can start to seriously add up. Board member Mary Hattori expressed her worry on the subject, especially for students across multiple clubs, and is pushing for the department to offer more clarity on who qualifies for aid and how aid is actually accessed. "I understand the rationale for this, but I also have concerns," she told Honolulu Civil Beat. It's a point of shared concern for educators and principals alike who are already bridging the gap through community fundraising and partnerships to make sure every student can walk the stage.
While the DOE might not need board approval to up graduation attire prices, such potential hikes are setting off alarm bells among educators and students alike. Some schools already forego the bulk buying and coordination headache and just direct students to third-party vendors such as Jostens, which aren't exactly providing bargains at around $60 to $80—a rate already significantly higher than the current cap. And it's not just Hawaii feeling the crunch; mainland schools and some community colleges have come to grips with soaring costs by offering up alternative solutions, like the loaning of caps and gowns, which are reused for future classes.
According to Waimea High School principal Mahina Anguay, speaking to Honolulu Civil Beat, financial aid conversations have been a mainstay at senior meetings, and she has stressed the availability of help through school-community ties. And over on the Big Island, the Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts and Science offers a shining beacon of community-driven empathy: they purchase caps and gowns in bulk and offer them at a modest $30, an approach director Steve Hirakami describes as "really a confidential affair."
These ongoing discussions about fees reflect the difficult balance schools and families must strike between honoring student achievements and managing real-world costs. As Hawaii's education board chair Roy Takumi said, seemingly resigned to the reality of financial responsibilities, "It has to come from somewhere," as per a report by Honolulu Civil Beat.
