Current:Home > ContactUniversity of Wisconsin president wants $855 million in new funding to stave off higher tuition -Aspire Financial Strategies
University of Wisconsin president wants $855 million in new funding to stave off higher tuition
Johnathan Walker View
Date:2025-04-11 11:58:58
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Universities of Wisconsin officials are asking their regents to approve a request for $855 million in new state funding to stave off another round of tuition increases, cover raises, subsidize tuition and keep two-year branch campuses open in some form.
President Jay Rothman said during a brief Zoom news conference Monday that his administration plans to ask regents on Thursday to approve asking for the money as part of the 2025-27 state budget. The request is only the first step in a long, winding budget-making process. Tuition and student fees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the system’s flagship campus, is now $11,606 a year for in-state undergraduates. The total cost to attend the university for a year is about $30,000 when factoring in room and board, educational supplies and other costs.
If regents sign off on Rothman’s request, it would go to Gov. Tony Evers to consider including in the executive budget plan he sends to lawmakers for them to weigh in budget negotiations. Evers has already said he plans to propose more than $800 million in new funding for UW in the coming two-year spending plan.
Lawmakers will spend weeks next spring crafting a budget deal before sending it back to Evers, who can use his partial veto powers to reshape the document to his liking.
Rothman said he would not seek a tuition increase for the 2026-27 academic year if he gets what he’s looking for from lawmakers. He declined to say what increases students might otherwise face.
Declining enrollment and flat state aid has created a world of financial problems for the UW system and left the campuses more dependent on tuition. Six of the system’s 13 four-year campuses face a deficit heading into this academic year and system officials have announced plans to close six two-year branch campuses since last year.
Almost a quarter of the system’s revenue came from tuition last year while only about 17% came from state funding, according to an analysis from the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Regents increased tuition an average of 4.9% for the 2023-24 academic year and 3.75% going into this year.
Rothman said the additional money he wants would pay for an 8% across-the-board salary increase for faculty and staff over the biennium.
The new money also would help fund the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, a program that covers tuition and fees for lower-income students beginning in 2026. Students from families that make $71,000 or less would be eligible.
The program debuted in 2023 and covered students whose families earned $62,000 or less. Financial problems put the program on hold this year except at UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee, but the system plans to restart it next fall for students whose families earn $55,000 or less using mostly money from within system administration.
An influx of cash from the state could not only expand tuition subsidies and pay for raises, but would also help keep two-year branch campuses open, Rothman said. Even with more money, though, campus missions could shift toward graduate programs or continuing adult education in the face of declining enrollment, he said.
veryGood! (21)
Related
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Holding out for a hero? Here are the 50 best, from Deadpool to Han Solo
- USA TODAY Sports Network's Big Ten football preseason media poll
- To Help Stop Malaria’s Spread, CDC Researchers Create a Test to Find a Mosquito That Is Flourishing Thanks to Climate Change
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Lainey Wilson accidentally splits pants during tour
- With US vehicle prices averaging near $50K, General Motors sees 2nd-quarter profits rise 15%
- A look at Kamala Harris' work on foreign policy as vice president
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- 2 killed when small plane crashes after takeoff from Long Island airport
Ranking
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Google reneges on plan to remove third-party cookies in Chrome
- Instagram is rolling out changes to Notes. Here's what to know
- Officials release video of officer fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home after she called 911
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Who could Kamala Harris pick as her VP? Here are 10 potential running mates
- Holding out for a hero? Here are the 50 best, from Deadpool to Han Solo
- Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in rollover wreck in Illinois, no injuries reported
Recommendation
Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
Man convicted of kidnapping Michigan store manager to steal guns gets 15 years in prison
Donald Trump’s lawyers urge New York appeals court to overturn ‘egregious’ civil fraud verdict
2 killed when small plane crashes after takeoff from Long Island airport
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
Dave Bayley of Glass Animals reflects on struggles that came after Heat Waves success, creative journey for new album
'Bachelorette' star's ex is telling all on TikTok: What happens when your ex is everywhere
After key Baptist leader applauds Biden’s withdrawal, agency retracts announcement of his firing