2025 Wisconsin Tuition Promise wipes tuition for families earning under $55K a year

(WLUK) — The Universities of Wisconsin is aiming to increase enrollment, and the system hopes a tuition relief program will do the trick.

The 2025 Wisconsin Tuition Promise includes 11 of the 13 schools within the UW system, including UW-Green Bay.

“We know when we look at what’s happening to the workforce in Northeast Wisconsin, and our role in it, it’s essential that it’s not just that we grow — it’s that we’re growing from all parts of the region at all ages,” said UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander.

Under the 2025 Wisconsin Tuition Promise, Wisconsin students coming from families earning $55,000 or less each year would qualify — wiping away tuition fees.

This program is for first-time incoming students for the 2025-26 academic year and would cover each year they are in school. Students must complete an application for Federal Student Aid.

A similar program was available for students during the 2023-24 academic year.

“From the fall of 2023, when we put it in, we saw what we believed is a very significant increase in our enrollment of students of lower socio-economic means, first generation students, pell-eligible students. It made a difference,” said Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman.

The Tuition Promise is described as a “last dollar” program — meaning it pays the remaining tuition and fees not covered by other state, federal and private financial aid.

So, where is the money coming from? Additional funds will come from the individual schools.

UW-Oshkosh is also part of the Tuition Promise. The University says it appears they will be putting forth a projected $300,000.

In a statement, UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andy Leavitt said:

“The first theme in our UWO2030 strategic plan is “Opportunity.” That’s what the Wisconsin Tuition Promise is all about. Anything that encourages more prospective students who may not have considered a four-year degree to take a second look at UWO is a sound investment. It’s good for them, for our region and for Wisconsin. Our most recent alumni survey found that, of the UWO class of 2022-23, 76% of graduates had secured their first career opportunity prior to graduation. Those instantly successful alumni overwhelmingly stay in Wisconsin, if not the Fox Valley region. President Rothman is right: we need more of that talent; we nurture that talent and we have a knack for keeping that talent.”

As for if this program will continue in the years following the 2025-26 academic year, Rothman, said, “We will fund this cohort so the class that will start in the fall of 2025 will have tuition promise provided to them, but absent the state or us being able to raise dollars privately, we won’t be able to extend it past that period of time.”

UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee are the two Universities not part of this program, because they each have their own similar programs.

Source: 2025 Wisconsin Tuition Promise wipes tuition for families earning under $55K a year