Gov. Walker, who has already capped tuition in the UW System for four years, now says he will extend the freeze for two more. He says he wants to keep tuition affordable. While students at UW-Milwaukee could benefit financially, some don't think the idea is a solid one, at least over the long-term.
Brianna Little, a senior majoring in health care administration at UWM, says she's afraid of what might happen to younger students, if the tuition freeze continues for two-more years.
“How long is it going to be like that? It’s good right now but what about later on, will tuition go higher,” asks Little.
“I don’t believe tuition freezes will help us as students in the long run because we’ll be shouldering the burden once those tuition freezes are over,” Peter Callaghan says.
Callaghan may face an eventual tuition boost – he’s a sophomore. As for the possibility that Gov. Walker could also call for a funding freeze for the universities, Callaghan worries that the quality of education would suffer.
“The multitude of programs that UWM provides might be cut back and our school might become lacking. I believe that private education shouldn’t be the only way for a student to be able to truly get a well-rounded education,” Callaghan says.
Another person apprehensive about a funding freeze is Tristan Murphrey. He’s afraid it would amount to more cuts. The system had to absorb a $250 million slash in the last state budget. Murphrey is a sophomore studying Physics and says he’s already seen the university drop a course he was eyeing.
“There was at least one class I really wanted to take that discussed the philosophical principles of physics but we couldn’t take that one. It was a combination of not enough funding, there’s been a lot of discussion in the physics department about funding being an issue for different classes to help physics majors excel,” Murphrey says.
Murphrey says if funding cuts continue, he’ll probably move to another school.
“College is free in Germany, I speak German, what is the incentive in me staying here,” Murphrey says.
Asia Baran says she’ll probably have to stay in school longer, if UWM faces tighter budgets. She’s a sophomore majoring in business.
“I’m a little nervous because I know the pickings are going to be slimmer. Working too, I don’t know if it’s going to work with the work schedule, with the university costing so much, I have to have a job. So, if it limits the classes I can pick and the times I can work, that’s not what I want,” Baran says.
