University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martin announced to a group of student leaders Tuesday an initiative to create differential tuition for all UW undergraduates to increase financial aid and the number of faculty positions.
The Madison Initiative for Undergraduates, which will go to the UW System Board of Regents for approval in May, would increase in-state tuition by $250 and out-of-state tuition by $750 per year over a four-year period. This amounts to a $2,500 and $7,500 increase for in-state and out-of-state students respectively over the course of four years.
Students coming from families that make less than $80,000 a year would receive grants to offset the cost.
This increase would be applied to only UW-Madison, and further increases of 5 to 6 percent are expected to come from the UW System in the coming years. However, the system increase would also be offset by separate UW System grants for lower- and middle-income students.
According to Martin, funding generated from the initiative through private fundraising and the tuition increase would allow the addition of faculty, instructional support and student services and an increase in need-based financial aid of at least $20 million.
“The two things I care most about are undergraduate education and undergraduate experience and affordability,” Martin said during a presentation at the Olin House Tuesday night. “I think we need work in both areas, and that work needs to begin now.”
By the 2013-14 academic year, projections show tuition and required fees rates hitting $11,447 for in-state students and $32,862 for out-of-state students. This is still less than the projected median for Big Ten schools, which UW currently lags behind.
Martin said the university is aiming to maintain a tuition rate at the median of its peer group and to continue to increase aid available to students.
“The fact is we don’t have enough low- and middle-class students, and we have to do something about it,” Martin said.
Frances Taylor, vice chair of the UW Foundation, said she likes the initiative because it would increase scholarship opportunities for current freshmen and sophomores who would not normally get aid.
He went on to say the UW Foundation has earmarked an extra $20 million to match dollar-for-dollar any open donations made to the initiative.
Sol Grosskopf, campus safety initiatives coordinator and a UW senior, said he is hesitant to support the initiative until further details on the implications it will have for students’ educational experiences are provided.
“Ultimately, I hope the students really take this opportunity to make their voice heard,” Grosskopf said. “This is a very important initiative that is going to affect every student on campus, whether they are going to be receiving money or having money taken away from them. At this point I would say research it more, look at it. Don’t make a rash decision.”
A public forum on the initiative will be held Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Ingraham Hall. An additional forum sponsored by ASM will take place March 30 at 4 p.m. in Gordon Commons.
Students interested in participating are invited to visit http://madisoninitiative.wisc.edu/ for more details.
— Tom Schalmo contributed to this report.
