Proposal would mean 4.5 percent total tuition, fee increase at UW-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s annual tuition and student fees would increase 4.5 percent to nearly $7,300 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 most System students, including those at UW-Green Bay. But the jump at UWGB is mitigated somewhat by the fact that student fees, determined at the campus level, will hold steady at $1,318 for the 2011-12 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 4.5 percent, from $6,977 to $7,288.
Under Reilly’s proposal, a Wisconsin resident attending UWGB full time would see his or her tuition rise by $311, from $5,659 in 2010-11 to $5,970 for 2011-12. If approved, it will be the fifth 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, the first such jump in five years.
The recommended tuition rates, which the Board of Regents will take up during its July meeting Thursday in Madison, would generate approximately $37.5 million in additional revenue for the coming year, according to System officials. That would cover less than one-third of the $125 million in cuts UW System universities and colleges have to absorb during the first fiscal year of the 2011-13 budget biennium.
“Enrollment at our universities and colleges is at an all-time high, and Wisconsin’s need for educated citizens will only continue to grow in the dynamic global economy,” Reilly said. “As we present this annual operating budget, we’re keeping our eye on the long-term goal of preserving broad access to a high-quality educational experience.
“Ours is not the only state where universities must tighten their belts to deal with state budget cuts,” Reilly continued, “but we have successfully avoided the kinds of double-digit tuition increases that would place a heavier burden on our students and their families.”
As proposed, UW-Green Bay’s tuition would remain below the System average for four-year universities, which would increase to $6,543. 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 approve the 2011-12 operating budget and tuition levels during a meeting that begins at 10 a.m. Thursday. For additional information, see the UW System news release: www.wisconsin.edu/news/2011/r110711.htm.
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