UW promises tuition freeze with $855M state-aid increase

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In a budget request Monday, Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said UW schools would freeze in-state undergraduate tuition for the next two academic years if lawmakers increase state aid by $855 million as part of the upcoming budget cycle, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.

The proposed budget will go before the UW Board of Regents on Thursday for a vote. The budget also seeks legislative approval for a third time for money to help keep the system’s remaining branch campuses viable and to fund the Wisconsin Tuition Promise — a scholarship program for students from low-income families.

With an $855 million state-aid increase, including $400 million for fiscal year 2026 and $455 million for fiscal year 2027, Wisconsin would reach the median level for state investment in its public four-year university system. UW for years has ranked lower than several of its neighbors in state funding per full-time student.

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