Despite the never-ending supply of comparisons between the Vietnam War and the Iraq war, there is one glaring difference: the draft. As college students, most of us did not and will not fight in Iraq. Without the looming threat of the draft, and with anti-war protests waning, it is easy to forget the cost of war.
Fortunately, we have an ever-present reminder of this cost on our campus. As the war grows older, increasing numbers of veterans are finishing their tours and returning to college to pursue an education. In 2006, our state Legislature made a gracious act mandating that Wisconsin veterans receive a 100 percent tuition remission for any UW school or state technical college.
This means veterans do not pay a penny in tuition to attend any UW institution. The act allows veterans to return to school at any time. If they so choose, they can receive a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s degree, then a Ph.D. Veterans could even tack on an M.D. or J.D., or both, and still they do not have to pay a penny. The language of the statute does not limit this benefit to recent veterans — this act is open to any veteran of any war. Additionally, if the veteran is seriously disabled or killed, these benefits are transferred to their spouse and kids.
Regardless of our opinion of the war, we can appreciate the support given to soldiers who risk their lives to protect our nation. While this measure appears to be a generous act for our men and women in uniform, the state Legislature, true to form, came up short in the funding.
The state statute mandates a full remission for all veterans. This would cost an estimated $52.2 million over the next two years, but the biennial appropriation is only $11.6 million. You can do the math. The state Legislature under-funded their own initiative by over $40 million dollars. To top it off, they left the rest of the bill to students. While the veterans are fighting to protect all our citizens, students are left paying for over 75 percent of this benefit.
In June, the Board of Regents increased tuition for UW-Madison by 5.5 percent, or $348. Of this increase, about $190 dollars is funding the veterans’ tuition remission. This may not seem like very much when compared to the $6,678 in-state price tag, but for students struggling to keep up with the significant increases in the cost of education (especially without adequate financial aid to counter them), this increase will certainly be felt.
Any pride we can have in support the state provides to veterans is dashed by their refusal to fund the program sufficiently. I can only assume the lack of state funding stems from an antipathy for students or cowardice to create a program that they are not willing to use tax dollars to fund. Either way, the willingness of the legislature to pass the financial burden of the tuition remission to the students only serves to further the Legislature’s onslaught against the UW System.
The veterans’ tuition remission is emblematic of the severe impact the state Legislature has on the university. Although state funding only represents about 19 percent of the university’s budget, the legislature maintains the power to dictate university operations. The choice of legislators to slash state support for the university system has resulted in a staggering spike in the cost of a UW education. The solution to this problem is involvement by students in state, local and campus politics. While the news is dominated by the national issues, like the economy and “time horizons,” a failure by students to engage in local politics signals to lawmakers that we will not resist policies impacting our ability to receive a quality, affordable education.
Alex Gallagher ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in history.
