MADISON – Senator Eric Wimberger (R-Gillett) released the following statement after the Universities of Wisconsin announced a proposed plan to increase tuition rates yet again by 2% and student housing costs by 2.8% at each of its member campuses, starting with the 2026-27 academic year:
“On top of passing a 5 percent tuition increase last year and receiving $256 million in our most recent state budget, UW is now planning to raise tuition and housing costs even higher to pay for its institutional staffing bloat.
We cannot overlook that, compared to ten years ago, UW has 2,400 more non-faculty staff positions on its payroll yet 16,000 fewer students in its classrooms. If UW could simply eliminate their administrative bloat, they would free up nearly $750 million in funding every year. There is no reason to raise tuition with this waste to trim.
UW’s leadership is continuing to pass its payroll expenses onto students and their families, when it should be cutting its massive bureaucracy and reinvesting its funds to create a more valuable student experience. No amount of money will ever be enough for satisfy these bureaucrats, and the bright students who attend our universities are only left with a worse education.”
