A recent study by the La Follette School of Public Affairs says family income of potential students will not affect their chances of acceptance into UW-Madison.
""Nationally, the percentage of college students from families in the top income bracket has been increasing faster than students from the bottom bracket,"" political scientist and public affairs scholar John Witte said in a statement. ""The good news is that the University of Wisconsin-Madison's admissions process is not becoming more elite in terms of income, even as it has become more selective.""
Witte and Barbara Wolfe, both members of the school, released the research this spring in the La Follette Policy Report. Former Chancellor John Wiley's concern of higher education becoming less accessible to those unable to afford it inspired the analysis.
""Wiley thought we were becoming more elite in terms of who we are serving and applications and who is accepted, but there is no indication that is the case,"" Witte said. Witte and Wolfe are currently conducting research to determine whether family income influences enrollment and graduation at UW-Madison.
Although she anticipates this research will reveal compelling statistics about the influence of family income, Wolfe said there is no way to do a long, historical study because financial aid is only offered to those already enrolled at UW-Madison. According to Wolfe, they will be looking specifically at income and the role of financial aid.
Chancellor Biddy Martin's recently announced tuition initiative also addresses the role of financial aid. Martin is planning to match an increase in tuition with private funds raised through the UW Foundation, which would allow more students coming from low-income families to earn a degree from UW-Madison. Tuition is proposed to increase by $250 for in-state residents and $750 for out-of-state students each year.
""We all try to make sure there are opportunities for students from all types of background to be able to attend the university. The program [Martin] has developed also looks at the quality and access to courses,"" Wolfe said.
