Walker Says He’s Open To Permanent Tuition Cap At UW

Gov. Scott Walker said he’s open to permanently capping tuition at the University of Wisconsin even as he’s promoting a plan to give the UW more freedom to set its own budget.

Walker’s budget would cut the UW’s state funding by $300 million and freeze in-state tuition for the next two years, but it would give the UW more autonomy in future budgets. UW leaders like that freedom, but critics worry the university will use it to push a massive tuition hike two years from now to partially make up for this budget’s funding cuts.

Walker was asked about that prospect at the Chatham House think tank in London and floated the idea of permanent caps on tuition.

“I think there’s some lawmakers in the state Legislature that want to put in the statutes — I’d be open to that — to permanently putting in place some sort of a cap on tuition,” said Walker.

Walker said that permanent cap could be tied to inflation, which is nearly identical to an idea proposed by Whitewater-area Republican Sen. Steve Nass. Nass wants Walker to cap tuition hikes at the level of the Consumer Price Index.