Madison – State Representative John Jagler (R-Watertown) called for a minimum two-year freeze on tuition increases throughout the University of Wisconsin System today.  A recent review by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau revealed that the UW System had maintained a cash surplus of nearly $650 million at the end of the last fiscal year.  Despite this knowledge, UW System President Kevin Reilly recently proposed a 2% increase in tuition fees in each of the next two years.

 

“The fact that the UW System is still calling for tuition increases while they have such a large surplus is troubling to me,” said Jagler.  “This proposition is at best, disturbing; at worst, dishonest.  Either way it is unfair to UW students and their families, who often leave the System saddled in debt after being hit hard by large tuition fees.”

 

“The UW System has seriously mismanaged taxpayer dollars, which should be going toward improving the quality of the education throughout the system rather than sitting in a reserve account gathering dust.  Hopefully a two-year tuition freeze will encourage the UW Board of Regents to reconsider its priorities when it comes to increasing tuition in the future.”

 

Jagler also says that the $181 million increase in taxpayer funding for the system that was included in the Governor’s proposed budget should be removed.