The UW Board of Regents has approved a 5.5-percent tuition hike.
The Board voted for the increase at all four-year UW campuses during it's meeting Thursday. System President Kevin Reilly says it will impact students at the UW-Madison the most, with a $617 tuition hike for the upcoming academic year. The UW-Milwaukee will see a $359 increase and other four-year campuses will see tuition jump about $280.
Reilly says he'd prefer not to see tuition go up at all, but it's just not possible at the UW System works to deal with state budget cuts and rising costs.
Even after raising tuition, Reilly says tough financial decisions remain. However, he says they will try to avoid drastic measures, such as cutting classes, capping enrollment, or double-digit tuition increases in the future.
Reilly says more financial aid will be available to help students offset the tuition increase. Grants will also be available for UW-Madison students from families making under $80,000 a year and students at other UW schools with a family income under $60,000.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:17)
