The president of the UW System is calling on lawmakers to reduce the cuts to its campuses.
Under the proposed state budget, UW campuses would face up to $175 million in cuts. System President Kevin Reilly says that's much greater than the $100 million in cuts they had originally been planning on.
Reilly called on the Legislature's budget committee Tuesday to change those numbers, by reducing the governor's requested one-percent across the board cut for state agencies. Reilly says it hits the UW System harder than most other agencies, due to the high number of non-GPR revenue sources they rely on for funding.
Reilly warns that failing to adjust the budget could force campuses to cut enrollment. He says many other campuses across the nation are already considering that option to make up for funding cuts.
Reilly says the UW also doesn't want to be forced to consider tuition hikes. He says that's a difficult option to think about, since it would require a double-digit increase just to make up for a $120 million cut in GPR.