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Not sure why it matters, but I'm coming from out of state.
It matters because non-resident tuition at UH is well more than double what residents are charged, and some people don't realize that for a while. For 12 credit hours of general study this fall a resident will pay a total of $4,702 while a non resident will pay $12,826.
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However, the cost of school is something I already have taken care of through other means, so the only thing I'm concerned about money-wise is cost of living. That's why my questions were specifically about how easy it will be to get a job and find a place to live.
No worries. people tend to think of them all together as a package.
I won't lie to you, jobs are hard to find, and while there are places to live, they're going to cost a lot more than you're used to. I suggest you plan to get started on the search as early as you can.
According to the KCC website, tuition for non-residents this year is just over $4000 per semester for 12 credits. I'm guessing that's an optimistic price for fall semester, but it probably won't be over $6000 for me just for tuition. I think the price you quoted is for a 4 year university, not a community college. Either way, for me it's already taken care of.
I've been looking on craig's list. It looks like I'll be paying between $500 and $800 a month for an apartment, but several of them say utilities are included. I know there's also an online UH housing board that I can look at once I have login information (hopefully soon). There's also a job board (for on campus jobs) that I can look at now, but I think to apply you also need login information. However, judging by what most of the jobs on there say about wage and maximum hours, I'll either need to get a second job or find a job where I can work more hours to cover rent. I have to wonder, though, if there's a physical job board on campus where employers post student jobs. On my current campus, there are a lot of postings for off campus jobs, some of which are for entry-level work at the mall or a store downtown and some of which are things like being a companion to the elderly or babysitting. Does anyone know if something like this on campus?
I'm not sure why you qualified that as "the first year"? If you enter college in Hawai'i as a non-resident, you remain a non-resident for tuition purposes the entire time you are in school. You will pay non-resident tuition for all 4 years of a BA degree program, for example.
In other words, for tuition purposes, living in the state while in school does not confer resident status. This is DIFFERENT than the residency determination used for tax purposes, etc.
eureka1, I'm pretty sure most places you have to be a dependent of someone who is a resident of that state for a certain amount of time (probably a year most places, as you said). So even if I lived away from my parents in another state for a year, I'd be paying non-resident tuition because I'm a dependent of a non-resident. Since everything I've read says it's very difficult to become a resident of Hawaii, I'm not sure I would stay in Hawaii after school, and I would no longer be on my parents' health insurance if I wasn't their dependent, it doesn't make sense for me to try to gain Hawaiian residency. I might try if I were going to a university instead of a community college and planned to stay in Hawaii after school, or if I were going to another state where it was easier to gain residency status.
Since everything I've read says it's very difficult to become a resident of Hawaii,
It is easy to become a resident of Hawaii. Just moving here and pay taxes here is one way. But becoming a resident of Hawaii is not the same as meeting UH residency requirements for tuition.
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In order to be considered a resident for tuition purposes, you must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident for one calendar year (365 days).
The one-calendar-year "clock" begins when you take the first action demonstrating your intent to make Hawaiʻi your permanent residence (i.e., start employment, register to vote, purchase property, or get a general excise license).
Can I attend school and establish residency for tuition purposes at the same time? Yes, but there is a credit restriction during the one calendar year (365 days) during which you are establishing residency. You are limited to taking only five semester credits each semester at any school in Hawaiʻi. You may take online/distance learning courses that are offered in a different state, but you must pay that institution's nonresident tuition rate.
There is a built in regulator: the "limited to taking only five semester credits" during the 365 day wait. If you are going to school for more than 5 credits, it eliminates you using that period as a count off towards your 365 days.
So it might just be a decision on doing 4 years of out-of state tuition, or, not going to school for a year while establishing residency. OP has already said they are ready to do out of state, but future readers might find these basics helpful.
So it might just be a decision on doing 4 years of out-of state tuition, or, not going to school for a year while establishing residency. OP has already said they are ready to do out of state, but future readers might find these basics helpful.
True that. Especially all of the future students that OpenD suggested the search function to.
I hate to state the obvious - but out of state people don't generally go to KCC - you go to a community college because 1) you are local, and 2) you might not be able to afford a 4 year college, and 3) you didn't get accepted to the 4 year college because of grades or financial reasons.
Nobody is going to be bowled over by your KCC degree unless it is followed up by completing a 4 year degree college.
The massive penalty to attend KCC as an out of state resident is on purpose - use those dollars more wisely. The folks at KCC would love your out of state tuition but it really makes no sense.
I know why most people go to a community college. Not to sound cliche, but I'm not most people. I've already done 4 year schools and they haven't worked out for me. The climate where I live is awful. I want to go there because there's an associate program, the climate is as opposite my current one as possible, and it will be a good chance to really start living on my own. The program is only two years and some of my credits will probably transfer so it might be less. That's enough time to start making connections if I decide I want to stay. As long as I'm young and not tied down, I might as well try it while it's feasible.
As for nobody being bowled over by a KCC degree, nobody will be bowled over by any degree unless it's from a really prestigious university. Everybody goes to college these days. Most employers don't care where you got your degree, as long as you have one. I'm not going to be a lawyer or go into a medical field. My main interest right now is languages. KCC offers a lot of languages that I wouldn't have an opportunity to learn here, unless I sought something out online. Being able to speak a useful language is more likely to get me a job than having a 4 year degree from a public university.
Every state system has a penalty for non-residents on purpose. In-state students and their families have presumably been paying taxes to keep the school running. Their tuition is lower because it's technically already been paid. Hawaii has one of the lowest non-resident tuition rates in the country. I could find a community college with a program I liked in, say, Florida or California, but I would pay more to go there because the non-resident tuition is higher than Hawaii's. Probably the 'wisest' thing to do with my money would be to stay at my university and finish a degree, but if I hate it here, it seems silly to torture myself by staying two more years when I could be out trying to find a place I like. I know I'm not going to stay here, so why not see if Hawaii is a place I might want to stay if the tuition is going to cost about the same and I can finish the degree in the same amount of time?
There are many out of state students who attend Hawaii community colleges. It is a fine choice, if the school offers the curriculum that you desire. Out of state Kapiolani CC students can also make use of dorming at UH Manoa, which might be a housing solution for you.
Most employers really do not care where your degree is from, if a two-year degree will suffice for that job. If you need a four-year degree for the job, community college is a good place to start and then transfer.
I graduated from one and transferred the credits to a university and got my bachelor's degree from the university...employers never need to know if I attended university all four years or just got my degree there. However, I'm proud of my associate degree and have always included that on my resume.
I was a librarian for a community college in Florida for a while, and was always astounded by how many non-locals we had studying there, not just from other parts of the state but also international students. I remember that on just one library shift alone, I helped students from Jamaica, Germany, Australia, and Iceland.
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Especially all of the future students that OpenD suggested the search function to. 
