UW System President Jay Rothman recently announced a program which will help underserved students obtain a degree tuition-free.
According to a recent news release, the program is slated to begin in the fall of 2023.
The program, dubbed the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, is a new initiative created to ensure that underserved Wisconsin students can attend any UW System university without paying tuition or fees, the release stated.
The goal of the program is to increase the number of state residents who graduate with a bachelor’s degree – especially first-generation students and those from low-to-moderate income families throughout Wisconsin – thereby improving individual lives and communities and helping meet the state’s workforce needs, the release continued.
According to the release, Bucky’s Tuition Promise at UW-Madison serves as the new program’s model. The Wisconsin Tuition Promise would provide up to four years of tuition and fee funding for students coming from families earning less than $62,000 annually and enrolling at any of the other 12 public universities within the UW System.
The program would be structured to provide “last dollar” financial support after federal and state grant aid is accounted for; as a result, Tuition Promise awards will vary.
Eligible students will be Wisconsin residents, first-time enrollees or transfers, and attending full-time. They will need to make sufficient academic progress each year and attest that they were employed at some point during the previous year, the release stated.
Rothman, within the release, said the affordability review he sought shows a UW System education is the most affordable in the Midwest and is very affordable nationally compared to peers. However, fewer low-to-moderate-income and first-generation students are attending UW System universities, suggesting that despite a tuition freeze in place since 2013, a state college education is increasingly out of reach for some.
“Education unlocks success in Wisconsin. By ensuring that every Wisconsin student is given the full opportunity to get a higher education, we will improve those lives directly while building the economic engine and community prosperity that benefit all Wisconsinites,” Rothman said in the release.
The release added that students will be automatically considered for the Wisconsin Tuition Promise when they apply for federal financial aid. A full publicity campaign led by the universities will begin later this fall. Current information can be found at: wisconsin.edu/tuition-promise/.
“The benefits of a college education are unassailable. A college degree needs to be within reach for every Wisconsin citizen as a path to a better life, and the Wisconsin Tuition Promise will provide these opportunities. It is also how we can close the skills gap that now limits Wisconsin’s potential to thrive in a global economy,” Rothman was quoted as saying in the release.
According to Rothman, an estimated 8,000 students will be supported through the program once it is fully implemented over four years. Eligible students will be awarded an average of $4,500 over four years. The UW System intends to fund the first year of the program in academic year 2023-24 at $13.8 million and seek state investment for subsequent years.
“At UW-Whitewater, the Wisconsin Tuition Promise builds upon our legacy as a university where students from all backgrounds can access a high-quality education at an affordable price. By guaranteeing that tuition and fees are covered for even more students, this program is a game changer. At the Whitewater and Rock County campuses, we are passionate about student success. From achievements in the classroom to the playing field, and through coveted internships and research opportunities, Warhawks are thriving — and the Wisconsin Tuition Promise will mean more students can experience a UW-Whitewater education,” interim UW-Whitewater Chancellor John Chenoweth was quoted as saying in the release.
UW-Whitewater, file photo/Kim McDarison.
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