Last week, the UW Board of Regents voted to raise tuition again, the fourth consecutive year that tuition has increased for Wisconsin students and families.
Hi, this is State Senator Rob Hutton.
Higher education remains one of the most important investments a person can make. But as families are faced with rising costs on nearly everything, we owe it to the students and taxpayers to ask if our state is doing enough to make a UW education affordable and accessible.
Rather than relying on raising prices, the UW System should focus on reforms that reduce the cost of a degree and improve access for all prospective students, from high schoolers to mid-career professionals. That means streamlining bureaucracy, eliminating redundant offerings across the system, and directing existing dollars to ensuring students can succeed and graduate in four years or less.
It also means making the universities more responsive to the needs of students and employers. Students deserve educational options that align with the careers employers are seeking to fill and allow them to get into that workforce faster.
Wisconsin is fortunate to have one of the nation’s premier public university systems. But maintaining that excellence for decades to come requires innovation, accountability, and a willingness to embrace meaningful reform. That’s how we can ensure a UW education remains a good value long into the future.
Video: https://youtu.be/JhwWXM-76VE
