The University of Hawaii's fall semester is underway, with a growing student body and new campus facilities — good news for students, though federal research funding is under pressure.

• All ten UH campuses started classes, and enrollment keeps climbing each year.
• Research funding tops half a billion dollars, but federal cuts are creating headwinds.
• Tuition stays cheap by national standards — 40% of undergrads pay nothing and 70% graduate debt-free.
• A new student success center in the old Sinclair Library opens this semester, with a rooftop tailgate area debuting for football.
• The Cancer Center landed an NIH grant to use AI for cancer diagnosis in Asian and Pacific Islander patients.

Outlook: Football kicks off Saturday with the first home game September 5, while the school watches whether federal research money holds up.