MADISON Wis.
University of Wisconsin System students will have to wait until next month to find out how much their tuition for the coming academic year will cost.
The UW System Board of Regents announced Friday it will delay a decision on tuition increases from next week until early August because of uncertainty surrounding the state budget.
The regents said they are shooting for a 3.3 percent increase, which would boost tuition by $198 at UW-Madison and $150 at most other campuses. But they said the increase could grow if lawmakers do not fully fund raises for faculty and staff or if they cut funding in other parts of the system budget.
"We must avoid a situation where we announce one tuition increase now, only to discover later that the amount is unnecessarily high, or too low to support the kind of quality education that state residents expect from their UW," Board President Mark Bradley said.
The budget outlook is uncertain because of deep differences between the Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-led Assembly. The Senate has approved funding increases sought by the system, but Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, said Friday that the Assembly budget will cut its funding. The two chambers might take months to iron out their differences.
What's more, the budget does not include raises for faculty and staff, and Gov. Jim Doyle's administration has yet to release its recommendations on state employees' salaries. The regents are seeking 5.2 percent raises for each of the next two years.
--Associated Press
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