The state of Wisconsin received a failing grade for affordability in a national report released last week, and the United Council of UW Students is blaming UW tuition increases for the poor mark.

The report — titled Measuring Up 2006 — was released by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and included grades for all 50 states in five areas of higher education. Wisconsin was one of 43 states to receive an F in affordability.

The United Council, a lobbying group that represents interests of UW students across the state, has repeatedly denounced the UW System Board of Regents for its annual tuition hikes, and the council's Executive Director Anthony David Adams said the failing grade doesn't surprise him.

"Tuition has gone up," Adams said. "There are a lot of students that are being priced out on education."

Adams added a tuition freeze wouldn't completely solve the problem, but it would help.

"Given the huge tuition increases in the past, a tuition freeze would be trying to stop the bleeding," Adams said. "A tuition freeze is the first big step in increasing affordability."

According to UW System spokesperson Kate Dixon, the system recognizes the need to increase affordability. Dixon also highlighted the fact that the regents this summer proposed the lowest tuition increase in the last 25 years for the next biennium.

The regents' Growth Agenda for Wisconsin budget requests an additional $144 million over the biennium.

"Affordability is a key part of the Growth Agenda for Wisconsin," Dixon said. "The board indicated in this budget request that it is very committed to keeping tuition as affordable as possible."

Also, according to Dixon, UW System President Kevin Reilly said Wisconsin needs to reinvest in public higher education.

Tuition has been a prominent issue in this year's gubernatorial race, and Adams said the United Council is ready to register students to vote.

"Right now, the United Council has a statewide goal with other UW System schools to register 30,000 student voters and to mobilize that base," he added. "That's enough to swing an election."

Adams said he believes the gubernatorial candidate to receive the most student votes will win the election in November.

The United Council will not endorse a particular candidate per se, but the council has a scoring system that grants points to each candidate dependant upon their position on key issues; once the council has tallied up the scores, they essentially endorse the candidate with more points by making that information public.

"United Council is a non-partisan group," Adams said. "We provide enough info for students to make an educated decision."

The United Council will have lobbyists at the Capitol after the election, according to Adams, to hold the legislators accountable for their campaign promises.