Wisconsin ranks among the top states in defunding public higher education, a new report shows.
While the Grapevine Report, an annual study on state support for higher education, indicated Wisconsin was among the top three states for defunding higher education, UW System spokesperson David Giroux said the state would actually rank in the top 10 or 11.
The state decreased the UW System's funding by $250 million in its biennial budget. In October, legislators told system leaders to prepare for another $46.1 million in cuts this year from a budget "lapse."
If cuts from the lapse are included, the state would rank in the top four or five.
The cuts represent a 16.9 percent decrease in funding to the system if the lapse is included.
Given the size of the lapses, Wisconsin's place on the list did not shock Giroux.
"I'm not surprised, but it's still an eye-opener to see just how steep of a decline we are experiencing relative to other states," Giroux said.
Giroux said he thinks knowing other states are also decreasing funds to higher education will be of little reassurance to students.
"It's little comfort to our students who are going to be experiencing these cuts directly," Giroux said. "This is a top ten list nobody wants to be on."
