Proposal would mean nearly 5 percent total tuition, fee increase at UW-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s annual tuition and student fees would increase almost 5 percent to nearly $7,650 for a Wisconsin resident attending school full time, according to a proposal that will be considered Thursday.
UW System Board of Regents President Kevin Reilly is proposing a 5.5 percent tuition increase for UW System students, including those at UW-Green Bay. But the jump at UW-Green Bay is mitigated somewhat by the fact that segregated fees, determined at the campus level, will increase 2.43 percent to $1,350 for the 2012-13 academic year. So what’s often referred to as the total cost for a Wisconsin resident to attend UW-Green Bay full time — tuition plus fees — will increase 4.94 percent, from $7,288 to $7,648.
Under Reilly’s proposal, a Wisconsin resident attending UW-Green Bay full time would see his or her tuition rise by $328, from $5,970 in 2011-12 to $6,298 for 2012-13. If approved, this will mark the sixth consecutive year of a 5.5 percent tuition increase for most of the System’s four-year campuses. Reilly also is recommending a 5.5 percent tuition increase for the 13 two-year UW Colleges, marking the second consecutive year for such a jump.
Reilly on Monday said the proposed increase is modest and predictable, adding that the funds will help students get into the classes they need while maintaining a safe and productive learning environment. The state of Wisconsin’s 2011-13 biennial budget reduced funding to the UW System by $250 million, while an additional budget lapse in February withdrew an additional $66 million in taxpayer support. Added to last year’s 5.5 percent tuition increase, the proposed new rates would result in a total of $110 million in new tuition revenue for UW institutions over the two-year period — about one-third of the funds needed to offset budget cuts and lapses.
“As our entire state continues to feel the ripple effects of a historic economic recession, UW chancellors continue to make tough choices and tighten their belts, while also focusing on educational programs and research efforts that will fuel economic recovery,” Reilly said.
Under Reilly’s proposal, UW-Green Bay tuition remains less expensive than the average of $6,939 for four-year System universities, and its increase less than the average of $396. All UW System colleges and universities will see an increase if the tuition plan is approved, with schools that have differential tuition agreements — such as UW-Madison and UW-Eau Claire — generally seeing a greater jump.
The Board of Regents is set to consider the UW System’s 2012-13 annual operating budget and tuition and fee schedules during a meeting that begins at 9 a.m. Thursday at UW-Milwaukee. For additional information on tuition and fees, see the UW System news release: www.wisconsin.edu/news/2012/r120604.htm. For more on the June Board of Regents meeting, including live webcast information, visit www.wisconsin.edu/bor/.
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