Fox Cities Viewpoint: Oct. 2003
The UW System Board of Regents will vote on a proposal in two weeks to offer
a tuition discount to the children and grandchildren of alumni of UW Oshkosh
and several other UW System schools. I believe it deserves the board’s
strong support.
The plan will help to decrease Wisconsin’s “brain drain” and
increase our ”brain gain” by attracting students from other states
who may remain in the state after they graduate.
It’s also good business. Even with the 25 percent discount the plan
calls for, the tuition charged these out-of-state students will more than
cover the cost of their education.
One thing this plan will NOT do is reduce the enrollment of in-state students.
In fact, the surplus earned through out-of-state tuition would provide more
money for financial aid for our in-state students.
A few have argued that by increasing out-of-state enrollment we are limiting
access for our own Wisconsin students. On the contrary, by helping us to
increase financial aid, this plan will ultimately help to make affordable,
quality education accessible to MORE Wisconsin students. Quality and affordability
are the twin components of accessibility.Add
I’m Richard Wells, Chancellor of UW Oshkosh, and this is a Fox Cities Viewpoint