The University of Wisconsin system says it will freeze tuition for two years and keep potential increases in the following two years capped at the rate of inflation if the state provides $190 million in the next state budget.
“This proposal means four years of predictable tuition with costs that remain well below inflation,” UW Regent President Kyle Weatherly said in a statement, defining the system’s “4-Year Tuition Pledge.”
“It represents an important commitment to Wisconsin families and helps ensure the Universities of Wisconsin remain the Midwest leader in tuition affordability,” he said.
The money is just a portion of the system’s $730 million biennial budget request the UW system plans to submit for consideration.
The proposal comes as complaints mount about a fourth consecutive year of tuition increases and as the state enters a critical election year with control of the governor’s office and the state Legislature up for grabs.
“To make the 4-Year Tuition Pledge a reality and deliver the quality of education students deserve and parents expect, we need a state partner to fund ongoing operational expenses and help us, as was done for previous generations, fund basic education costs,” Weatherly said.
The UW system and outgoing Gov. Tony Evers have requested significant investments from the Legislature to prevent tuition increases, but Republican lawmakers have opposed the spending increases. The UW Board meeting briefing notes that Wisconsin currently ranks 43 out of 50 states in public funding to support four-year universities.
The last round of budget negotiations led to a $250 million increase for operational costs under the 2025 biennial state budget, well below the $855 million operational budget increase that former UW President Jay Rothman said would be needed to avoid tuition increases.
The UW’s entire proposed funding request, which would allocate $347 million in the first year of the budget and $383 million in the second year, is tied to the advancement of three goals: helping the UW system provide access to affordable, high-quality education; building the state’s workforce; and advancing life-saving discoveries as well as access to healthcare.
If the budget request is fulfilled, the Board of Regents plans to commit to a two-year tuition freeze for undergraduate residents. It says it would also limit potential increases in the 2029-31 biennium to no more than the rate of inflation.
The request also includes $45 million that would go towards developing the UW’s AI capabilities in an “ethical manner”. The investment would cover hardware, software, and networking infrastructure required to run advanced AI systems, as well as staff to manage AI and support faculty and students.
“Rather than renting computing power from commercial vendors at escalating costs, this infrastructure would be owned and operated by the Universities of Wisconsin, giving Wisconsin universities reliable, affordable access to the computing resources needed to train and develop AI tools,” the briefing states.
The request also includes $35 million to raise starting salaries to be more competitive and $33 million for the Wisconsin Work & Learn program, which would cover eligible students’ tuition and fees. Students will in turn work while they attend school.
The system is requesting another $240 million to strengthen economic and workforce competitiveness through investments in technology, research, workforce training, expanded dual enrollment opportunities for high school students as well as academic and career services.
Another $115 million would be used to grow healthcare education programs.
The UW Board of Regents will consider the request during its meeting this week.
