As UW Systems face a $51 million budget cut, students at Madison are finding they especially have a reason to worry.

Because Madison makes up one-fourth of the UW system, the school is likely to lose at least $12 million. However, Chancellor Wiley said former budget cuts have docked UW of as much as 40 percent of expected funding.

Jessica Miller, Associated Students of Madison chair, said she has been bracing herself for the loss.

“It doesn’t really come as a surprise,” she said. “We knew it would happen. That being said, we hope cuts aren’t being taken away from student services.”

Miller said much of her fear revolves around the proposed tuition increase. Despite McCallum’s 10 percent cap, Miller said she is weary of rising tuition costs.

“If they do raise tuition they need to balance it with financial aid,” she said. “They need to look at the aid to make sure students can stay in school.”

UW College Republican president Susie Strzelec said the budget cuts have the potential to be good for the future of UW.

“We are part of the state, and we all have to face the pains,” she said. “It’s a bad thing that the UW has to suffer, but there can’t be just one thing that’s spared. We all have to suffer.”

Likewise, according to analyses by Charles Franklin, UW political science professor, students should not be overly concerned.

“It’s not a trivial cut, but it’s not a huge cut,” he said. “The university could have been a lot harder than it was.”

Other faculty members agreed.

“The reaction on campus was, and my reaction was, ‘Oh, only four and a half, it could have been much worse,'” said Andy Reschozsky, professor of public affairs.

He said the numbers should not be taken too seriously now, but that controversy may arise when the time comes to allocate specific cuts within UW.

“The issue is whether the governor’s proposals are doable,” he said. “It’s easy to say we’re going to cut, but how do you cut?”

Although analysts, professors and government officials devote significant time and effort to allocating state funds, the more average oblivious student may shed light on how UW is influenced by the cuts. Todd Jackson, UW junior said he knew little about the budget, much less how UW faired Tuesday.

“The state budget involves money that we spend on stuff,” he said.

Reschozky also said he is apprehensive about judging the budget’s implications on the university.

“It’s too early to predict the exact impact on the university,” he said.