[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald Photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]University of Wisconsin System officials addressed an Assembly committee Tuesday, as state lawmakers grilled them about the Board of Regents' recent decision regarding nonresident tuition.
The source of widespread debate, the controversial plan calls to cut the out-of-state tuition of all UW System schools — excluding UW-Madison — by more than $2,000.

As the public continues to consider whether a nonresident discount would help or hinder in-state students, the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities listened to statements from the UW System Board of Regents President David Walsh Tuesday.

According to Walsh and UW System Vice President Don Nash, the "growth plan" will address the brain drain currently facing Wisconsin by attracting nonresident students.

"Our plan is to be consistent with our vision," Walsh said, adding the Board hopes the plan will regain the revenue lost during the last five years when the nonresident enrollment dropped by more than 900 students.

Walsh added the UW System is losing more than $13 million each year due to the drop in nonresident enrollment.

According to Walsh, under the plan, the UW System would only need to enroll 240 more nonresident students to compensate for the nonresident tuition cuts.

But committee chair Rep. Robin Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, questioned Walsh, asking how increasing out-of-state enrollment would address the rising tuition costs facing Wisconsin resident students.
"Is it worth the PR aspect … to pursue an idea like this?" he said. "Because lately I've been hearing from people shaking their heads wondering why in the world we're giving out-of-state students discounts from the East and West Coast at a time in-state students have seen tuition go up 50 percent over a four-year period."

Additionally, Rep. Frank Boyle, D-Superior, expressed concern over the plan's impact on in-state access to UW System schools.

"The bottom line is that this state has moved away from its commitment … to public education," he said. "Somehow the reality's got to sink in [that] we're becoming an elitist institution financially and intellectually."

Walsh, however, defended the Board of Regent's commitment to Wisconsin resident students.
The decreased nonresident tuition rate will still generate enough funds to subsidize tuition for resident students, Walsh said, adding the overall increased revenue will create more spots for in-state students.

"The No. 1 priority … is access," he said. "We will come back to [the Legislature] over and over with proposals because there's nothing more serious than the disenfranchisement of [students]."
Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, agreed with the Board's plan, but said it needs to be more effectively communicated to both the Legislature and the public.

"When you first hear it, it's counterintuitive," Black, a committee member, said in a phone interview. "I don't think the university has done a good job of making their argument … It makes a lot more sense, but that message hasn't gotten through."

Although the Legislature can pass laws to restrict some of the authority of the Board of Regents — as various members have attempted to do recently with salary caps — the Board is allowed to enact the plan without the consent of the Legislature.

The committee also reviewed a bill authored by Rep. Kitty Rhoades, R-Hudson, which would require each of Wisconsin's eight congressional districts to be represented by one of the 14 citizen members of the Board of Regents.