2008 Woodie Awards
Tuition proposal favors low income students, increases for upper class
Andrew Whitman
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: News
Students from high-income families may face a more expensive tuition bill, at least according to recent proposals discussed by the UW Board of Regents in early March.
During the monthly meeting the board discussed several ways to make colleges more affordable to students, said David Giroux, UW-Board of Regents communication director.
"It was a discussion item only; it was one very small item in a larger picture and the university is not moving this direction any time soon," Giroux said. "It was merely a brain-storming session of sorts."
The discussion emerged after a report called for an increase in need-based assistance. While Wisconsin has relatively low tuition compared to other states, it also has low levels of financial aid, Giroux said.
Other ideas, such as raising tuition at high demand colleges or programs and slowing tuition increases at some universities and increasing it at a greater rate at others, were also discussed, he said.
In a statement issued by the Board of Regents, board President Kevin Reilly said the system needs to find new ways to encourage people with low incomes to attend college.
"In the state capitol and at kitchen tables across Wisconsin, there is growing interest in creative ways to make college more affordable for working families," he said.
Several UW System chancellors were not in favor of enacting such a policy, according to the report.
Lower income students are usually offered the most financial aid, said UW-Whitewater Financial Aid Director Carol Miller. The federal government has not been keeping up with the increase in tuition, she said.
"We're looking at ways to tag the rich and the middle-class to give to the poor," Miller said. "We have a lot of low-income financial aid programs and we can usually take care of those really poor folks and the rich can take care of themselves."
Miller said she has always been most concerned with the middle-income group because they are the students leaving with debt.
"Sometimes we worry so much about a certain targeted population that we forget about the other ones," she said.
Last month, Whitewater Student Government President Nicholas Santilli drafted an executive proclamation outlining inadequacies in dealing with tuition increases and the problems with using tuition to pay for financial aid.
During the monthly meeting the board discussed several ways to make colleges more affordable to students, said David Giroux, UW-Board of Regents communication director.
"It was a discussion item only; it was one very small item in a larger picture and the university is not moving this direction any time soon," Giroux said. "It was merely a brain-storming session of sorts."
The discussion emerged after a report called for an increase in need-based assistance. While Wisconsin has relatively low tuition compared to other states, it also has low levels of financial aid, Giroux said.
Other ideas, such as raising tuition at high demand colleges or programs and slowing tuition increases at some universities and increasing it at a greater rate at others, were also discussed, he said.
In a statement issued by the Board of Regents, board President Kevin Reilly said the system needs to find new ways to encourage people with low incomes to attend college.
"In the state capitol and at kitchen tables across Wisconsin, there is growing interest in creative ways to make college more affordable for working families," he said.
Several UW System chancellors were not in favor of enacting such a policy, according to the report.
Lower income students are usually offered the most financial aid, said UW-Whitewater Financial Aid Director Carol Miller. The federal government has not been keeping up with the increase in tuition, she said.
"We're looking at ways to tag the rich and the middle-class to give to the poor," Miller said. "We have a lot of low-income financial aid programs and we can usually take care of those really poor folks and the rich can take care of themselves."
Miller said she has always been most concerned with the middle-income group because they are the students leaving with debt.
"Sometimes we worry so much about a certain targeted population that we forget about the other ones," she said.
Last month, Whitewater Student Government President Nicholas Santilli drafted an executive proclamation outlining inadequacies in dealing with tuition increases and the problems with using tuition to pay for financial aid.
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