MADISON, Wis. — Legislation by Senator Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) to limit add-on fees at Universities of Wisconsin campuses — Senate Bill 532 — received a public hearing today in the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges.
SB 532 would prohibit UW campuses from charging an additional fee for classes offered exclusively online unless the fee reflects genuine additional costs as a result of the course being offered remotely or is also charged for an equivalent in-person course.
According to the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau, 10 of the 13 four-year UW System institutions assess some form of distance learning fee. Add-on fees at six of them total $150 for a three-credit course. In some cases, the online course is not even offered in-person, forcing a student to pay the extra fee if they want to graduate.
“SB 532 ensures students aren’t forced into paying additional, unwarranted fees for courses that are often required to simply graduate and start a career,” Hutton said.
“This bill adds transparency to the cost of tuition and embraces an educational tool that will only continue to grow in demand as demographic and economic shifts inevitably bring changes to the delivery of higher education,” Hutton continued.
News reporting earlier this year highlighted how “distance learning” surcharges add up for students. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel documented students being charged special fees for online courses even when no face-to-face option was offered. And FOX 11 Green Bay reported students launching a petition to eliminate the UW-Green Bay online surcharge after paying as much as $300 in added fees.
“Technology should make a higher education more flexible and less costly, not more costly. This bill helps UW campuses make adjustments that will be necessary in the years to come,” Hutton concluded.
