Gov. Scott Walker called for another two year tuition freeze at the University of Wisconsin System Friday morning after projections showed the UW System would continue to carry a surplus of more than $1 billion.
In a statement, Walker called for a tuition freeze in the state’s next biennial budget, on top of the one already enacted in the 2013-2015 budget that passed last year.
“After years of tuition hikes, it is important to give our students and their families a break. Our proposed second two-year tuition freeze will go a long way to helping working families and students have access to higher education,” Walker said. “This freeze continues our commitment from the last budget to make college more affordable for working families and students across our state.”
Following Walker’s announcement, University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross announced his support for keeping higher education affordable for Wisconsin students, adding he would work with Walker’s administration and the Legislature to find a “reasonable solution.”
Cross said tuition at UW is already lower than many at peer colleges but agreed holding tuition prices down would help Wisconsin students and families.
“We intend to thoughtfully and judiciously manage and explain our resources. We will continue to work with the Governor and the Legislature to meet our shared goal of delivering value to the state of Wisconsin,” Cross said. “I intend to work vigorously to find a reasonable solution. I am confident that we can get the best budget possible for the university.”
The current tuition freeze came after news that the UW System had hundreds of millions of dollars in reserves. It was the first time in UW System history that tuition was frozen for two years.
