Here & Now

Cross Shares Concerns over Tuition Freeze

Frederica Freyberg:
Fall semester at UW campuses is about a month off, and the new academic year has university leaders increasingly voicing concerns about the tuition freeze coming into its seventh year. Thats because the state budget did not back-fill that freeze. Instead the UW System saw a $58 million increase over two years. Less than half what Governor Tony Evers had proposed. System President Ray Cross says it would take $60 million just to keep up with inflation. There are several legislative bills circulating related to tuition and a campaign on the part of the system to herald the value of the UW to the state. To talk about all of this, were joined now by UW System President Ray Cross. Before we begin, we should note that WPT is part of the university. President Cross, thank you very much for being here.

Ray Cross:
Good to be here Frederica.

Frederica Freyberg:
So as the UW prepares for students to converge with the fall semester, what are your concerns with this year marking the seventh of a tuition freeze?

Ray Cross:
Well, we believe, and I think you see that the legislature — both parties — are introducing bills that reflect their desire to increase the investment in the university. And that’s something that we think is needed. And we’re really pleased to see that conversation taking place. That’s one of the reasons, too, that we are embarking on this “All in Wisconsin” as you call heralding the value of the university. We think people across the state need to have a better sense of how the university impacts their lives, the value it brings, the additional living — the lift in the living wage that it provides on average of a million dollars a year, so — and the investment itself is like 23 to 1 in the university. So we bring a great return to the state and helping people understand not only the abstract numbers at a high level but also the impact it directly has on their lives.

Frederica Freyberg:
Are you specifically trying to connect the dots between the value of the UW System to the state of Wisconsin and increasing tuition? I mean, you want this kind of what really is kind of a PR blitz to convince people, yes, the time is now to do this?

Ray Cross:
Well, it isn’t just that we’re seeking to increase tuition. We’re seeking an increased investment, whatever form that takes. We cannot maintain quality without sufficient investment in the university. And I think that’s obvious to members of both parties.

Frederica Freyberg:
Now, you have said that the state budget does not provide enough funding to cover necessary investments. Like what?

Ray Cross:
Well, let me take a couple of things. First of all, the compensation that our employees receive. The university has to pay 30% of that. That traditionally came from tuition. So our portion of tuition would cover that compensation increase for our employees. That’s not being covered at this point, so that’s about $16 million of that actually $45 million that we’re getting right off the top. So that’s a piece of it. The other elements in this include the normal cost of inflation for which is roughly 2.4%, for goods and services we have to buy. So that’s an additional significant amount of money. On top of that, there are a number of investments we need to make to meet the needs of the state, including producing more nurses, more engineers, more data scientists and more teachers. And those different fields require increased investment. Now it’s true, we have reallocated funds, there’s no question, in order to support those more strongly. But we still can’t grow in those areas as fast as we need to.

Frederica Freyberg:
But meanwhile, what about campuses already struggling with a budget crunch like UW-Stevens Point in the face of this budget picture you paint?

Ray Cross:
Well that’s a very serious issue. The demographics particularly in the north central part of Wisconsin and Stevens Point is right in the middle of that. The demographics are seriously impacting their enrollment, and that’s a challenge. On top of that when you have not just frozen tuition but reduced investment from the state over the last eight years that complicates their financial picture. And they’re dealing with that as aggressively as they can, but the lack of state resources, additional investment of state resources complicates their situation.

Frederica Freyberg:
Now one Republican lawmaker, as you know, is already kind of preparing for a lift of the tuition freeze with a proposal that if lifted, tuition could only be increased at the maximum — to the maximum of the consumer price index, which is what — under 2% lately. What do you think of this particular proposal?

Ray Cross:
Well, I think it’s about 2.44% right now, but I think the Chapter 36 gives that responsibility to the board. The board’s role is to analyze the needs of the system and set tuition, and that’s the responsibility of the board. I think there are ways to work together with the legislature so the appropriate oversight is possible, but I think mandating that in statutory language is a bit too much.

Frederica Freyberg:
Republican Senator Steven Nass is pointed in support for a continued tuition freeze, as I know I don’t have to tell you, and calls into question how careful the UW is with its spending. What do you say to him and other lawmakers who might feel similarly?

Ray Cross:
Well, we’ve done a lot to control our expenses, but there comes a point when there needs to be an investment in the university. What have we done — if you think about it, the restructuring process that we’re going through, that will not recoup or save us a ton of money initially. It wasn’t intended to. But over time, we’ve actually eliminated a whole institution within the system. We’re shifting resources from administrative responsibilities to the classroom. We’re doing things like that on an aggressive basis, but you can only go so far in that process.

Frederica Freyberg:
All right. We need to leave it there, President Ray Cross, thanks very much.

Ray Cross:
Thank you Frederica.