A NEW TUITION PROMISE TO HELP WISCONSIN STUDENTS

A new University of Wisconsin System initiative starting in fall of 2023 aims to help underserved Wisconsin students attend any UW System university without paying tuition or fees.

The goal of the Wisconsin Tuition Promise is to increase the number of state residents who graduate with a bachelor’s degree – especially firstgeneration students and those from lowto moderate-income families throughout Wisconsin.

The payoff: the potential to improve the quality of life for graduates and their families while also meeting the state’s workforce needs.

“A college degree needs to be within reach for every Wisconsin citizen as a path to a better life, and the Wisconsin Tuition Promise will provide these opportunities,” UW System President Jay Rothman says.

Plans call for about 8,000 students across UW System institutions to be supported through the program once it’s fully implemented over four years.

Eligible students will be Wisconsin residents and first-time college enrollees or transfers who enroll full time. They will be awarded an average of $4,500 over four years.

Tuition Promise students will need to make sufficient academic progress each year. They’ll also have to attest that they were employed at some point during the previous year.

“The Wisconsin Tuition Promise comes at a pivotal time for our students and families who are faced with increasingly challenging economic circumstances,” UWM Chancellor Mark Mone says.

UW System intends to fund the first year of the program in academic year 2023-24 at $13.8 million and seek state investment for subsequent years.

– Genaro C. Armas