States with controlled tuition at their public universities are not feeling the squeeze as badly as the University of Wisconsin–Madison, according to a new report from Wisconsin Policy Forum. The study examined in-state tuition rates at 34 public universities identified as peer institutions to the university and found “striking differences” between Wisconsin and the other schools that also saw tuition controls imposed after the Great Recession.
In 2013, Gov. Scott Walter froze tuition for resident undergraduate students attending a University of Wisconsin System campus, leading to savings for students in the eight years it’s been in place. However, the freeze has hampered the system’s ability to negotiate the balance between rising costs and maintaining the quality of a UW education. It also encouraged more out-of-state students.
