The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents unanimously voted to approve a $6.382 billion annual operating budget for 2019-20 at its meeting Thursday in Madison.
In introducing the budget, UW System President Ray Cross reiterated the need to use every dollar wisely and in ways that serve students, faculty, and campus communities.
Cross identified three key takeaways of the annual budget:
- The amount and format of State/GPR funding will be defined by a plan approved by the Board of Regents and then presented to Joint Finance. This process has not been used previously.
- Resident undergraduate tuition is frozen for the seventh consecutive year for four-year institutions and for the 11th time in 13 years for two-year campuses.
- Typical cost of attendance for an in-state student living on campus will increase by 0.9% at UW System’s 4-year institutions and by 0.8% at the two-year campuses.
“Preserving the quality of a UW education as tuition remains frozen will require operational investments by the state and our federal partners,” Cross said. “Pursuing additional operational investments will continue to be a priority for the UW System.”
“We need to continue to have the dialogue on the importance of reinvestment in the UW System so we are not diluting the quality of a UW education,” said Regent President Drew S. Petersen. “I would challenge this board and everyone in this room to make this case.”
Other budget highlights:
- Total segregated fees will increase at 4-year institutions by an average $36 per year (2.7%)
- Room and board rates will increase at 4-year institutions by an average $105 per year (1.4%)
- Unrestricted program revenue balances continue to decline.