The Wisconsin State Legislature passed a bill Tuesday requiring University of Wisconsin-Madison to admit all Wisconsin high school students who finish in the top 5% of their class, according to the Associated Press.
The bill requires other UW campuses to admit students who finish in the top 10% of their class at a Wisconsin high school.
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The bill, which now heads to Gov. Tony Evers to be signed or vetoed, is a part of a deal struck in December 2023 between the state Legislature and the university. The deal curtails diversity positions at UW campuses in exchange for funding for staff pay raises and on-campus construction projects. Other bills created through the deal are moving through the Legislature.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the university said the proposal “will help encourage the top students in Wisconsin to remain in-state for their postsecondary education, and will encourage more of these students to remain here after graduation.”
The bill passed the Senate 23-9 and was approved by the Assembly on a voice vote.