The number of veterans enrolled in the
University of Wisconsin System has increased within the last year,
according to a report presented at the UW System Board of Regents
meeting last Thursday.

The number of veterans enrolled in the
UW System has increased from 3,188 students in fall 2006 to 3,975 in
fall 2007.

Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton said the rise
in veterans enrolled in the UW System can be attributed to higher
numbers of veterans, as well as the number of veterans who are
learning about the Wisconsin G.I. Bill.

The Wisconsin G.I. Bill waives tuition
and fees at UW System schools and Wisconsin Technical Colleges for
anyone who qualifies as a veteran in Wisconsin.

"There are very few limits on the
program — you can use it for undergraduate or graduate work,"
said Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford. "They can take classes as long
as another program isn't already paying for it and they fulfill the
certain qualifications, like fulfilling their contract or serving in
combat."

The Wisconsin G.I. Bill, which was
signed into law on May 26, 2006, is "incredibly important for a
variety of reasons," Lawton said.

"When it was signed, it was a
defining moment for values that Wisconsin holds," Lawton said. "If
we look at the sacrifices they make, for them to be able to come back
from that experience of service and retool their lives, making it an
easier transition is something we owe them."

The report noted 2,429 veterans are
receiving G.I. Bill benefits for the 2007-08 school year, up from
1,534 in 2006-07.

Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, said
Wisconsin's G.I. Bill is "the number one reason" for the
increase in veteran students because "they get 100 percent of their
tuition taken care of."

Previously, under the G.I. Bill,
Wisconsin veterans received 50 percent tuition remission, unless they
were disabled, which entitled them to a 100 percent waiver. This is
the first year all Wisconsin veterans can receive a full wavier of
tuition.

David Giroux, UW System spokesperson,
said the Wisconsin G.I. Bill has both benefits and downfalls.

"It's good because it gives an
educational springboard to the men and women who made sacrifices to
serve our country," Giroux said. "But it's bad because we might
not have the resources to provide them with an education."

Tuition for veterans will cost $42
million for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school year, Giroux said.

"The amount of funding that was
passed in the [state] budget was $11 million — this is for the
entire UW System and technical schools," Giroux said. "This
leaves quite a gap in funding."

Funding for the bill will have to be
revisited by the Legislature to meet the needs of future veterans,
Lawton said.

"It was the Legislature that created
the benefit, so the funding should be backed by the Legislature,"
Lawton said. "What we don’t want is to have the cost of the G.I.
Bill be borne by other students in the UW System by increased tuition
or decreased curricular activities."

Lawton is certain government will
include adequate funding for the G.I. Bill in the next budget.

Suder hopes many veterans will continue
to participate in the program and thinks the number of enrollments
will continually rise as veterans return to Wisconsin.

"Giving them an education is a
win-win situation; it could help Wisconsin's economy," Suder
said. "It's a way to properly saying thank you — what better
way to say thank you to our veterans than to give them an
education?"