For resident undergraduate students, tuition increased by 6.9 percent in the fall of 2005 compared to fall of 2004, and it is expected to increase another 5 to 7 percent starting fall of 2006, Vice Chancellor for Business and Student Services Andy Soll said. In an attempt to help future students pay for college, Gov. Jim Doyle proposed a new financial aid package during his State of the State address on January 17.
Doyle’s proposal, which he calls “Wisconsin Covenant,” entails having eighth-graders sign a pledge agreeing to complete high school, maintain at least a B average, take college prep courses and live a clean life, Director of Financial Aid Kathy Sahlhoff said.
If they are accepted to a Wisconsin public university and receive financial aid but the aid still does not meet their financial needs, then the state would pick up what is left with grants or subsidized loans, she said.
“(The proposal is) trying to ensure there is access to lower income students and making sure they’re able to attend college,” said Sahlhoff. “We certainly want to do anything we can to increase access to lower income students.”
About 40 to 45 percent of students attending the UW-Eau Claire are receiving need-based financial aid, and 65 percent are receiving some kind of assistance through academic scholarships, university employment or loans not based on need, Sahlhoff said.
“The university is not having any problems filling seats, although there is some concern that they are not seeing as many students from lower income families as in previous years,” she said. “We don’t want to lose ground in providing access to the lowest income students.”
Freshman Nicki Pigeon is attending school on financial aid and was surprised at what a good opportunity the proposal affords students.
“If I was an eighth-grader I would be overjoyed, but I don’t know how that would work, because there would be many good candidates that would be eligible for grants,” Pigeon said.
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine recently ranked Eau Claire as one of the best values in public higher education in America. It was ranked at 69 in the magazine’s 2006 “100 Best Values in Public Colleges” list.
With increasing tuition, schools are trying to keep the lower income students from being shut out of school for financial reasons.
“We’re hopeful,” Soll said. “We don’t know the details about its funding, but at least the issue of assuring school will be affordable is out there.”
