Earlier this year in March, the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board decided to increase tuition rates by 2.25%, the largest increase to tuition rates in the last five years. They have increased rates for at least the past five years, with the average increase being 1.83% over that period.
While Madison College doesn’t individually control the tuition hike, they could be advocating for greater college affordability policies.
As a member of Wisconsin Student Government (WSG), we collectively wrote a letter which recommended that the WTCS should not increase tuition more than 1.5% to not create a greater financial barrier for students. Ultimately, the WTCS Tuition Work Group did not adopt our recommendation, but as the next President of WSG, I will sit on the Budget Workgroup to weigh in on the budget approval process.
WTCS rates are still affordable compared to the Universities of Wisconsin System, with the average annual cost being $4,485 compared to $7,466 respectively. However, the label of affordability is slipping away with each passing year and each inevitable tuition increase.
On the one hand, I can understand the need to increase funds to support public education. In 2023, the State Legislature proposed eliminating the operating tax levy as a funding source for Technical Colleges, which would disturb our current funding structure and create a budget deficit for the WTCS, including our own Madison College.
But on the other hand, students are already experiencing the brunt of the financial burden with increased prices in the Truax Campus Cafeteria, two back-to-back student referendums increasing the Student Activity Fee, and now this rate increase to our per credit tuition.
So my question to Madison College administration and staff:
What will you do to keep Madison College affordable for our student body?
WSG Tuition Increase Recommendation 01312024