MADISON, Wis. (AP) - University of Wisconsin System students wouldn’t face any tuition increases for another year but most would have to shell out more for fees and housing under a budget plan the Board of Regents is poised to vote on later this week.
The regents are set to vote on the system’s 2017-18 budget Thursday during a meeting a UW-Madison. The spending plan keeps undergraduate tuition frozen as per a legislative mandate entering its fifth year.
But it calls for raising student fees by an average of 2.6 percent across the system’s four-year schools. Increases would range from zero at UW-Green Bay to $72 at UW-Milwaukee. Students at that school would face $1,474 in fees. UW-Madison’s fees would increase by $45 to $1,260.
Documents attached to the budget offer a myriad of reasons for the fee increases, including covering costs for student unions, athletic scholarships and programs, child care, band costs and fluctuating enrollment. UW-Milwaukee, which wants the largest fee increase, cited projected enrollment decreases, lower than expected revenue from athletics and the school’s recreation center.
The system’s two-year schools would see an average fee increase of 3 percent. UW-Fox Valley and UW-Manitowoc students would see the steepest increases; both schools are slated to raise their fees by 9 percent, bringing fees at Fox Valley to $309 and fees at Manitowoc to $405.
Room-and-board, meanwhile, would increase an average of 2.6 percent across the four-year institutions. UW-Eau Claire would see the largest jump with a 7.5 percent increase from $6,985 to $7,506, due largely to cover the costs of constructing a new dorm and renovating another. The work also is expected to force more students to live off-campus, resulting in less housing and meal plan revenue, according to documents attached to the budget.
UW-Marathon County and UW-Marinette are the only two-year schools that offer room-and-board. Costs would jump 3 percent at each school to $5,163 at Marathon County and $4,016 at Marinette.
Associated Students of Madison, UW-Madison’s student government arm, didn’t immediately reply to an email The Associated Press sent to its general media mailbox Monday seeking comment on the fee and housing increases.
Overall, the budget projects the system will spend about $6.2 billion over the next academic year, down about $10.3 million from last year. System officials expect to generate $6.1 billion in revenue - including about $1.5 billion in tuition - and use $113 million in reserves to cover the gap.
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