PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — In a unanimous decision Thursday, the Universities of Wisconsin’s Board of Regents voted to increase tuition across the UW system by 4-5%.
“I think the tuition proposals that are being recommended to this board today strike the right balance between state funding and tuition, so that we can ensure that Wisconsin provides the quality education that our students deserve, but that we also do so at an affordable level,” said President Jay Rothman ahead of Thursday’s vote.
“We acknowledge and deeply appreciate the much-needed funding increase provided in the state budget bill passed last week,” said Regent Ashok Rai. “We’re thankful for that investment, but it does not diminish our gratitude to note that there remains a gap in our ability to address the cumulative effects of inflation. Specifically, inflation at nearly 30% since 2020 has well outpaced the cost of attendance at 18%.”
Officials explained that the tuition increase is a result of both inflation and of the new biennial budget.
“We all hoped for a state budget more aligned with the board’s request, which would have negated the need to enact any tuition increase for Wisconsin students,” Rai added.
Currently, the state budget accounts for about 20% of the UW system’s revenue. For staff salaries, the state provides 70% through funding, and the university system is expected to match those funds with 30%.
“60% of the tuition increase is something we have to do based on the legislation that was passed,” Rai says.
The new tuition requirement means an extra $500, at most, for some system students.
“My mother told me to never use the word ‘only’ and an amount of money in the same sentence. So, while we are talking an amount of less than $500, or $500 even, when you don’t have $500, it is a big deal,” said Regent Timothy Nixon.
Nixon explained that the tuition increase will provide an additional $48 million to the UW system, but says $30 million of that is something that was required thanks to the latest funding bill.
The tuition increase is 4%, and universities can opt into an additional 1%. All universities except UW-Green Bay have opted into the additional 1%.
“We have an access mission, and so it’s really key to our students — many of whom are on some kind of aid — that we want to make sure we’re respectful of the amount of money they can pay for their education and keep that as low as possible,” said UW-Green Bay Chancellor Mike Alexander.
Not taking the extra 1% boils down to student retention, Alexander said.
“We’ve grown by 25% in the last five years, so we are generating more tuition than we ever have — over 11,000 students now — and that gives us a little more flexibility here,” he said. “I’m most interested in making sure the students currently at UWGB are able to stay and finish their educational goals.”
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