Last month, Gov. Jim Doyle told a group of students who asked him to make the University of Wisconsin more affordable that they \must be living in a dream world."" In fact, we do have a dream-one where all people, regardless of their race, class or social circumstances have equal access to high-quality, low-cost higher education. Unfortunately, it seems that Doyle, along with the state Legislature and the Regents, do not share our vision.
Every two years, Gov. Doyle and our state legislators calculate a budget for the state of Wisconsin. This includes, among other things, the amount of funding that will be going to the UW System and, ultimately, all of us here in Madison. This allocation makes up a sizable portion of the university budget, which has unfortunately and unnecessarily been steadily decreasing over the past few years. It is very simple: As state funding for the university goes down, that money has to come from somewhere else, and these days that other source is us, the students.
The last budget was the most painful for students in Wisconsin's history. Doyle, a Democrat, and the Republican-led state Legislature showed rare bipartisanship when they cut $250 million from the UW System and hiked tuition by 37.5 percent. The Regents are now proposing to raise tuition another 9 percent-over $400 per semester-over the next two years. At the same time, we see classes and services being cut left and right. Essentially, we are paying more for less, and it is time for that to stop.
Clearly, we all want to pay as little as we have to in order to get the exceptional experience we have here in Madison. However, some people make the point that the UW's in-state tuition is relatively low among Big Ten schools. Excluding the fact that out-of-state tuition here is much higher than at those other schools, the Big Ten is about comparing which school can score the most touchdowns, not which can price the most students out of college.
Students across the country are fighting the same problems of budget cuts and tuition hikes as we are here. The reality is that the quality of our education at the UW has been directly affected by the fiscal irresponsibility and misplaced priorities of our state Legislature. This is hurting us, and if we do not do something now, the financial burdens on us and our parents will continue to increase, and we will continue to lose the classes and services that make the UW such an extraordinary place.
We can make an impact on this issue. In 1999, students effectively organized to make then-Governor Tommy Thompson, a Republican, freeze tuition, the only time that has occurred in the last 30 years. It is up to us to continue the fight, to continue demanding that this great public university be truly accessible to the public.
Students are already organizing on this campus and around Wisconsin to ensure tuition is lowered for the next budget cycle. A coalition of student groups including ASM, MCSC, WISPIRG, SLAC and MEChA will be hosting a rally and march from Library Mall to the Capitol on Friday at 4 p.m.
This will be the first big event in a movement that can have a huge impact on what we as students gain by going to school here at the UW. The more of us that stand up and show our support, the more effective we will be. This is an issue that affects all of us, and so I hope to see a huge show of support as this movement continues to grow.
Travis Bird, a junior majoring in philosophy, is student chair of WISPIRG.
