Fox Cities News

Senator Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) has issued a statement regarding the University of Wisconsin System's proposal to increase tuition by up to 5%. The proposal is set for a vote by the Board of Regents on July 10.

Hutton expressed concern about the impact of rising college costs on prospective students. "A major concern for prospective students is the cost of a college education. It’s disappointing that the Regents are poised to disregard those concerns," he stated.

He questioned whether this increase would be accompanied by measures such as offering three-year degree programs or other methods to help students complete their education more quickly and with less debt. "Will this be paired with a three-year degree offering or any way of completing a program more quickly and accruing less debt?" he asked.

Hutton warned that without efforts to align educational offerings with student and employer needs, this decision could exacerbate enrollment declines in the UW System and further burden students with long-term debt. "Without an effort to make their product more responsive to student and employer needs, I fear this decision will worsen the UW System’s enrollment declines and put those seeking higher education even further into long-term debt," he concluded.