If Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposed budget for the 2005-2007 biennium passes in June, students in the UW System may pay 5 to 7 percent more for college tuition, Rep. Rob Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, said during his listening session Monday in the Arrowhead Room in Davies Center.

With 13 people in attendance, Kreibich said the proposed raise does not include faculty costs which, when fully funded, could increase that proposed number to 10 percent.

“I’ve just seen a dramatic erosion over the last several years in access to our UW System,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of legislators that represent four-year campuses.”

To help make the UW System a priority to Doyle and state legislators, Kreibich hopes to pass a bill that would place a 3 percent cap on the tuition increases during the next biennium.

Through his bill, titled AB-239, tuition could not be raised higher than 3 percent for each of the next two years, which he said would force all legislators to step back and take a look at the state’s obligation to college students.

“We’ve got to reverse the declining trend and start seeing an investment in higher ed as an investment in a better economy, better work force, higher paying jobs,” Kreibich said.

Sophomore John Radcliffe said he favors a tuition freeze to help students, but thinks the cap still has merit. For the cap to pass through legislation, however, it will require an effort from students, he said.

“(Kreibich) can only do so much,” Radcliffe said. “Him coming here has energized us a lot and made us really want to do something more.”

Even if Kreibich’s bill is adopted, he said students would have seen tuition raise an average of 10.5 percent between 2003 and 2007. According to the 2003 Department of Revenue Tax Sample, the average Wisconsin household income is $47,426 compared to Eau Claire’s $64,000.

With tuition increasing in double figures and financial aid increasing in smaller numbers, low to middle-class families will continue to be priced out of college, Kreibich said.

Because the UW System ranks second lowest in the Big Ten Conference for in-state tuition, legislators see college campuses as an easy target to pull money from, he said.

“The last budget was balanced on the backs of students,” he said. “I don’t want to see that happen again.”

Freshman Tom Burton said he was impressed that Kreibich truly cares about students and their interests, a trait he noticed through Kreibich’s responses.

Other issues arose during the session, such as raising minimum wage, improving diversity and accessibility on campus and domestic partnerships.

Kreibich said he plans to look into diversity and accessibility issues, favors a higher, but uniform minimum wage on the state level and doesn’t support domestic partnerships.

“He answered questions the way I pretty much would have expected,” senior Emilie Rabbitt said. “It’s very nice to hear that we have a voice on our side (for tuition).”

As June draws closer, Kreibich said students should stay active after the spring semester to voice their concerns before the budget is finalized.

“We’ve got a lot of hurdles to clear. The governor is pretty rock solid on five to seven (percent increase),” he said. “I don’t introduce things to just see them fail, so I’m going to keep pushing.”