With a new report released Sept. 14 claiming accessibility into the nation's universities is hurting lower- and middle-income families, the UW System and state government continue to evaluate solutions to the problem.

The report, released by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, states that due to the rising cost of tuition and declining amounts of financial aid available, students that come from low-income families will be forced to overlook college as an option.

In particular, UW System spokesperson Kate Dixon said the UW Board of Regents was concerned with the costs of attaining a degree.

"The Board of Regents has called for tuition increases in the next budget biennium to be kept to the rate of inflation," Dixon said. "These are the lowest average annual tuition increases the board has requested in 25 years."

According to the report, financial aid must be increased and tuition costs decreased in order to get the low- and moderate-income students back. In addition, the report says 1.4 million to 2.4 million bachelor's degrees will be lost within the next 10 years due to the financial inaccessibility of universities.

Considering the state's current political climate, even gubernatorial candidates have been voicing ideas for how to keep lower and middle-income students at UW schools.

Anne Lupardus, spokesperson for Gov. Jim Doyle, said Doyle has also proposed a plan to the regents managing tuition hikes to within the rate of inflation.

In addition, regents believe their own plan, the Growth Agenda for Wisconsin, will serve as a way to reinvest state and university resources to make education more affordable.

With the November election looming, Doyle's challenger, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., has also spelled out plans on keeping the UW System affordable.

"Mark Green will ensure that a world-class UW System education remains affordable for Wisconsin's students and their families by capping tuition at the rate of inflation in his first budget," said Luke Punzenberger, a Green campaign spokesperson.

He added Green will make an effort to balance tuition and aid available.

"Mark Green will not sign any budgets into law that do not increase financial aid at the same percentage rate as tuition," Punzenberger said.

While speaking to students in Brookfield Tuesday, Green addressed their questions about tuition increases, pledging to make funding available when tuition goes up.

"Anytime tuition goes up, student aid will go up," Green said. "Financial assistance has not been keeping pace."

Still, UW System President Kevin Reilly said in a transcript he hoped the Growth Agenda would get the necessary push from the state to help fend off tuition increases higher than the rate of inflation.

"We've heard complaints from Wisconsin students and families about the rapid rise in tuition and we need to do something about it," Reilly said at the August meeting of the Board of Regents, according to a transcript released by the UW System.