Legislators call for more aid when tuition goes up

by Tom Schalmo

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 22:47

Two Madison state representatives announced a plan Monday afternoon to match financial aid dollar-for-dollar for tuition increases at UW System and state technical schools.

Rep. Spencer Black and Rep. Joe Parisi said the plan would essentially freeze tuition for students who receive financial aid.

Parisi said upon graduation, the average undergraduate student is about $21,000 in debt, citing it as one of the major causes of the state’s economic slowdown.

“We view this as a vital component of any economic stimulus program, helping to relieve the debt that people must incur simply to attend college,” Parisi said.

Despite the uncertain economic future in Wisconsin and the $27 million price tag of the plan, Parisi said this bill is one of the best ways to turn around the economy and create jobs.

“The way you grow an economy is to reduce debt and invest in your people,” he added. “The best economic plan: invest in our people, invest in our young people.”

The bill, the legislators said, would take effect in the 2009-10 biennium, adding that there is bipartisan support for their efforts. Sen. Carol Roessler, R-Oshkosh, supports the legislation but was unavailable for comment Monday afternoon.

Black said two reasons to pass the legislation include keeping higher education affordable and providing students financial aid regardless of the status of a biennial state budget, which Gov. Jim Doyle last year signed four months late.

Parisi and Black were joined in support in the Memorial Union’s Inn Wisconsin Room by Rep. Kim Hixon, D-Whitewater and students from the United Council of University of Wisconsin Students.

Josh Mann, a junior at UW-Waukesha and vice president of the United Council, said getting a higher education in the state is becoming increasingly difficult.

“What we need now is for financial aid to keep up with tuition, not to lag further and further behind,” Mann said.

Black said students from lower-income families should have the same chance to go to college as those from higher-income families.

“It has always been a point of pride — a hallmark of this great university — that if you have the ambition and the talent to get a higher education, we won’t have your family’s financial circumstances stand in the way,” Black said.

UW-Madison in-state tuition has more than doubled over the past 10 years, from about $2,650 in 1996-97 to $6,330 today.

“If we can do this and help relieve the tremendous debt burden carried by students and their families, we can give young people a fair shot at being able to make it in life once they get out of college, instead of burdening them with debt,” Parisi said.