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Mixed Reaction to Tuition Cuts: Regents Discuss Lowering Rates for Out-of-State Students

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 03:02 CST

By Megan Twohey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Feb. 22--Madison -- The University of Wisconsin System's plan to cut tuition for out-of-state students received a mixed reception at a legislative hearing Monday.

Several members of the state Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities offered support for the cut, saying they believed it was intended to boost the enrollment of all students, including Wisconsin residents, as argued university officials.

UW-Madison would be excluded from the rate changes.

"I think the argument is extraordinarily logical," said Gregg Underheim (R-Oshkosh).

Said Debi Towns (R-Janesville), "It's a simple business premise."

But Robin Kreibich (R-Eau Claire), the committee's chair, said he was unconvinced that the cut would benefit residents. He said he thought Wisconsin students would be displaced should out-of-state enrollment increase. Residents pay substantially less tuition than their out-of-state counterparts, even with the cut, which will take effect in the fall.

The legislators don't have control over tuition; it is set the UW System Board of Regents. But the Legislature, along with the governor, does control how much taxpayer funding the UW System receives.

Kreibich said cutting out-of-state tuition when tuition for residents has increased 50% in five years would not be politically popular.

"They're antagonizing Wisconsin residents," Kreibich said after the hearing.

The UW System Board of Regents voted this month to cut the per-year, non-resident tuition -- $2,300 at UW-Milwaukee and $2,000 at every other public university, except UW-Madison.

Regents President David Walsh told the committee that the cut was prompted a loss of 900 out-of-state students over the last five years.

Students from out of state are charged $18,246 per year at UWM and $14,323 per year at the other campuses except for UW-Madison -- levels that are higher than non-resident tuition at similar public universities outside Wisconsin.

As the regents see it, out-of-state students are being priced out of the UW System. Walsh said the tuition cuts were designed as a way to reverse a declining enrollment of non-residents, thereincreasing revenue and diversity on campus. The drop in out-of-state students has resulted in a loss of $13 million in yearly revenue, he said.

"We can't say for sure that the tuition is the only reason. . . . It's certainly a factor," Walsh said.

Walsh said that with more revenue, the UW System would be able to hire more faculty and staff -- and educate more Wisconsin residents. He said the UW System reductions in taxpayer support had forced the UW System to look for creative ways to boost revenue.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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