Undergraduates in the School of Business will pay an extra $500 next semester after the UW System Board of Regents officially passed a differential tuition proposal at its full board meeting Friday at UW-Oshkosh.
""Generally speaking, people aren't very receptive to tuition increases, but if the money is used effectively to enhance the educational experience provided to the students I think we can all benefit,"" said Justin Metzler, a UW-Madison junior and student in the School of Business.
Under the new policy, beginning fall 2007, students in the undergraduate business program will pay $500 per semester on top of university tuition fees, and students in the Certificate of Business program, $150 per semester.
At the meeting, Regent Elizabeth Burmaster expressed concern that the increase would deter lower and middle-class students from pursuing business majors. In response, Regent President Kevin Reilly said 25 percent of the revenue from the differential tuition program will be used for financial aid and scholarships targeted directly toward these students.
Faina Melamed, a UW-Madison sophomore who has applied to the business school, currently works at Bucky's Locker Room to help pay for her current tuition.
She said the increase in tuition does not change her mind about wanting to be accepted in to the business school. She also said she is not going to have to get a second job to pay for it.
""I think it sounds fair that business students have to pay a different tuition,"" Melamed said. ""The only reason they're doing that is so they can expand [the program] for more people to get in—being someone who needs to get in still—it's worth it to pay more.""
According to the business school, the differential is needed to sustain quality and to expand the size of the certificate program and possibly the major.
Freda Harris, UW System associate vice president for budget and planning, said Regent policy was used to involve students who would be affected by the differential tuition program, and that student support was abundant.
According to the Regent website, UW-Madison's current and future tuition rates for business students are below the median of peer schools.
