(The Center Square) – The University of Wisconsin System’s Board of Regents approve a 5% tuition increase for in-state undergraduate tuition for most of the UW campuses, leading to questions from several lawmakers who voted for a recent increase in the schools’ funding in the Wisconsin budget.
The new Wisconsin budget included a two-year $256 million budget increase with the schools receiving $1.13 billion in capital budget and $316 million for operational budget.
“The last two tuition increases have been done in early spring so incoming students have complete information before the deadline to commit to a university; now, committed students are facing a shock tuition increase,” Senate President Mary Felzkowski said in a statement. “Why is this year different? They had to first secure those billion dollars in the budget!”
The plan calls for a base 4% undergraduate tuition increase with an optional 1% increase that will be used by all of the schools except UW-Green Bay, University of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said.
UW-River Falls, meanwhile, will see a 5.8% increase.
A recent audit showed an increase in staff and salaries over the past 10 years in the UW System while student enrollment has dropped by 16,000.
“Instead of simply returning their staff-to-student ratio to what it was 10 years ago, UW chose to resist reform, demanding more and more from the State and its students,” Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Oconto, said in a statement.
Both Wimberger and Felzkowski also point to issues in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Education Achievement that led to an audit finding “concerning” decisions made in the department including lump sum awards to 85% of staff in late 2023 amounting to $218,750 without consultation.
“On top of it all, UW-Madison is now undertaking a media campaign to promote dismantling their DEI department,” Felzkowski said. “Don’t be fooled – the positions have simply been moved to other departments. The timing of the state budget, the tuition increase, and the false DEI media campaign is not coincidental.”
