University of Wisconsin System resident undergraduate tuition. (FE)

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Beginning in the 2021-22 academic year, this bill prohibits the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System from increasing resident undergraduate tuition for students in two-year and four-year institutions by more than the increase in the consumer price index for the previous year. The bill defines CPI as the consumer price index for all urban consumers, U.S. city average, as determined by the U.S. department of labor. Also, for purposes of the bill, “resident undergraduate tuition” is defined to include any differential tuition charged to a resident undergraduate.

The bill also freezes the amount of resident undergraduate tuition charged to an individual student as follows. First, for a student who first enrolls in an institution in the 2021-22 academic year or thereafter, the amount of resident undergraduate tuition charged in the first year of enrollment is subject to the prohibition described above. In addition, the amount of resident undergraduate tuition charged to the student must remain constant while the student continues his or her enrollment in the institution, or for four consecutive academic years, whichever is less. The foregoing applies regardless of whether the student was previously enrolled in another UW institution or a non-UW institution of higher education.

Who's behind it

7 lawmakers are its authors⁠. All 7 are Republicans.

4 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From UWS