Applications to attend the University of Hawaii when its 10 campuses open in the fall are soaring 25 percent higher than a year ago.

University officials said Thursday they have received more than 6,000 applications for the semester that begins in the fall, compared to more than 4,800 a year ago.
They say more than 18,700 students have enrolled at the main Manoa campus for the spring 2010 semester that began this week. That’s an increase of 2.3 percent from the 18,300 students that enrolled in early 2009.
At the same time, the university is struggling with cuts to its state funding imposed by Gov. Linda Lingle.
The university and the labor union representing professors remain at odds over proposed pay reductions.