Democrats are blasting Republican Governor Scott Walker’s plan for cutting the UW system’s funding, while adding flexibility down the road.
Walker wants to reduce state funding for the university system by 13 percent over the next two years. UW would be allowed to raise tuition without state approval, but not until 2017.
Democratic Senator Janet Bewley of northern Wisconsin’s 25th District says that will ultimately hurt students.
“Well what it does is allow the current administration to continue and brag about tuition being frozen, when in just a couple of years they will have to catch up. And what this really does is just put the burden back on the student.”
Some Republicans have also expressed skepticism of Walker’s plan, saying the state should maintain oversight of tuition.
Bewley says cuts along with frozen tuition would be devastating to campuses, especially those outside urban centers.
“A tuition freeze on top of local revenue caps in the communities, and then you say, and we’re going to cut you by 300 million dollars – that will have a disproportionate effect on rural schools and rural campuses.”
Walker’s plan would grant the campuses more autonomy two years down the road, allowing the schools to raise tuition and set its own personnel policies without state approval.
