Fairness? I've never seen it practiced perfectly, especially not in education. However, you can get close. Wisconsin and Minnesota can achieve fairness by renegotiating the reciprocity agreement. However, Wisconsin is being a little stubborn. So much so, that fairness could collapse into disaster for students from both states.
If you're a Minnesota student in Wisconsin or vice versa, you have a pretty good deal. Students are given the opportunity to use the opposite state's school and still pay the tuition of a comparable school in his or her home state. Although other neighboring state's students (for example, Illinois) pay strangling fees to come to Madison, Minnesota residents pay what they would to go to the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus.
Minnesota legislators and U of M administrators have argued the gap between Minnesota and Wisconsin tuition (Minnesota's is higher) is too great to be fair to Minnesota residents seeking educational opportunities in Wisconsin. They suggested we raise our tuition. Wisconsin legislators were not exactly accommodating in their response. Once Minnesota legislators said they might become involved in the situation, Wisconsin lawmakers balked at the suggestion of paying even more to compensate Minnesota. What's worse is that some talked about simply ending the deal.
So should we raise tuition to keep the deal? The question to answer before that is whether we are competing or cooperating with our westward neighbors. When it comes to education, the goal of both states is the same. As a nation, we have tried to attain equal educational access for students, and cost has been the biggest obstacle. This agreement helps some students get around that roadblock. Yet, that doesn't mean we should disadvantage state residents trying to get into their own state school.
However, there is a contradictory nature to the argument legislators are making. The reciprocity agreement is supposed to offer greater educational access and options to students from both states. However, when the agreement needs to be renegotiated, state legislators and an editorial in this very paper argue the Wisconsin system of education has an obligation to educate Wisconsin residents. It's all about us.
Wisconsin doesn't want to give. Like that child who dives hands first into the waterfall of candy from a piñata, Wisconsin legislators recognize the gifts in front of them, but refuse to give up any of them. However, if we don't give a little leeway, the result could be much more disastrous than a tuition increase.
This reciprocity agreement cannot end. There were more than 25,000 students who took advantage of the agreement and attended school in their neighboring state. If the agreement ends, the options and space becomes more limited. If that happens, a good deal of high school and college graduates will be forced to cut their education short. That means cutting off Wisconsin residents from the educational opportunities we promise them. We have been sailing in a sea of benefits, but we are running the risk of turning it into two separate puddles.
Some Wisconsinites groan at making great leaps to accommodate students from Minnesota, but they won't have to. Assessing an increase in the tuition surcharge fee might help balance things. Minnesota residents pay the amount of their own state school to come to Madison schools, but Wisconsin residents pay that number plus 25 percent of the difference in tuition to come to U of M-Twin Cities (usually an extra $400). If the issue of where reciprocity payments are actually is a problem, attach them to tuition of all students going into Minnesota and increase the U of M-Twin Cities rate. The agreement will raise costs for Wisconsin residents going to Minnesota schools, but the tradeoff ensures that funds go to the Minnesota system to invest back into education. Hopefully, that investment will result in slowing down tuition increases at Minnesota and closing the tuition gap between both college systems.
While tuition is a major issue, our approach to this university should also be examined. A visiting professor once remarked to another student and me that Madison has an amazing university but that we shouldn't. He reminded us that we should be thankful that we have such a stellar school at such a low price. We have it good in this state, but we shouldn't want to keep it to ourselves. This is a nationally — dare I say, internationally — renowned university and as such it should be open to those with the grades and determination to succeed here. It belongs to the state but should offer an outstretched hand to those looking for a promising education, regardless of location. We may be divided by states, but are connected by the pursuit of happiness.
Yes, educational access is hard to come by, and it's not fair. It's unlikely that it ever will be. However, our agreement with Minnesota has opened opportunities to both states. If we want to keep progressing toward educational equilibrium, we have to make some concessions. It is not about state pride or political posturing; it is about the access for all. Borders need not apply.
Jason Smathers ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in history and journalism.
