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The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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State legislator wants to cap UW tuition increases

The new Republican majority in the state Legislature has officially turned its eye on the University of Wisconsin, as one representative looks to cap UW tuition increases.

Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, who was recently appointed chairman of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities, wants to cap annual tuition increases at 4 percent – down from the yearly hike of 5.5 percent seen since at least 2007.

The cap could bring in more students, said Nass spokesperson Mike Mikalsen.

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In the past, annual tuition increases have ranged from 5.3 to 16 percent with an average of 9 percent, Mikalsen said, so the 4 percent cap would be double the current inflation rate and give the school leverage to take in more students while increasing revenue.

The Board of Regents, a part of the UW System, is traditionally in charge of raising tuition prices, according to Wisconsin Legislature Statutes.

According to the UW System Tuition Policy, tuition increases should assist in redressing the imbalance between needs and resources, yet should be moderate and predictable.

Board of Regents President Chuck Pruit said the tuition cap should be analyzed in the context of state aid to schools.

If the state budget can allocate the difference in funding to schools, then a tuition cap would be fine, Pruit said. Increased education funding is unlikely at this time, however.

The cap, to be proposed in new legislation in January, would make tuition increases consistent for the next two to four years, Mikalsen said.

Mikalsen said Nass hopes this cap would make college more accessible for middle-class families.

“The bulk of Wisconsin families are middle class, and most loans and subsidies do not apply to this group of students,” Mikalsen said.

Nass has proposed two similar tuition caps in the past, both of which were turned down.

While the UW System will always want more money, Mikalsen added, students’ ability to pay these larger sums must be taken into account.

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