University Of Wisconsin Regents Considering Tuition Hikes
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — University of Wisconsin System regents are considering raising tuition for nonresident and graduate students at three institutions next year.
The regents' finance committee is set to vote on the proposal Thursday morning during a meeting at UW-Madison. Approval would send the increases to the full Board of Regents for consideration on Friday.
Nonresident undergraduate tuition at UW-Eau Claire would increase by $355 to $15,636. Nonresident undergraduate tuition for the materials science and engineering program would increase by $391 to $17,107. Tuition for nonresident graduate students at UW-Eau Claire would increase $430 to $17,621.
Nonresident graduate students in UW-Milwaukee's Lubar School of Business see their tuition go up $539 to $27,490.
Nonresident graduate tuition at UW-Stout would increase by $296 to $15,088. Nonresident graduate students who pay Minnesota tuition rates under Wisconsin's reciprocity agreement with that state would have to pay $157 more, bringing their bill to $8,024. Nonresident grad students under the Midwest Student Exchange Program, in which schools agree to charge students no more than 150 percent of the in-state rate, would see their tuition go up by $166 to $10,471.
The increases are expected to generate more than $186,000 total across the three schools, according to a memo from system officials to the regents.
UW-Eau Claire officials need the extra money to advance the system's 2020FWD plan, which calls for investing more in helping high school students take college courses, student access to advisers and opportunities for non-traditional students and research, and other long-range plans, according to the memo.
The UW-Milwaukee business school increase represents the second year of a two-year plan regents approved in 2016 to pay for more programs for international students and aid in faculty recruitment, the memo said.
As for UW-Stout, the memo said the MSEP increase at UW-Stout will still be below the 150 percent threshold the program requires and the Minnesota reciprocity rate is the higher of UW-Stout's rate or an average of comparable Minnesota universities.
The 2017-19 state budget extended a four-year freeze on in-state undergraduate tuition for another biennium but left the regents free to set rates for nonresidents, graduate students and professional school students.
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