Committee OKs lifting UW out-of-state student cap

A University of Wisconsin System committee has approved lifting a cap on out-of-state students at UW-Madison.

UW-Madison is uniquely positioned, Blank told the Regents on Thursday, to bring students into Wisconsin from across the country while also keeping top in-state students here. What’s more, Blank believes the increase in out-of-state students at the Madison campus will be small, perhaps around 100 to 200 students in each freshman class over the next four years, Lucas said.

UW-Police officials said a stranger sexually assaulted a UW-Madison student in a campus alley way around bar time August. 22, 2014.

Critics call it a money grab, noting that out of staters pay $20,000 more per year than Wisconsin residents.

University of Wisconsin-Madison students are blasting a plan to eliminate the school’s limit on out-of-state undergraduates. It would also help the UW make up for millions in budget cuts. The memo offers no details.

Regardless, the committee ultimately approved lifting the cap on a unanimous voice vote. Few out-of-state students stay in Wisconsin after graduating, the organization said, so if the university really wants to bolster the workforce it should step up in-state recruiting.

But while one Regent brought up concerns about shared governance, discussion at Thursday’s committee meeting mostly avoided those criticisms and focused instead on the state’s workforce.

UW-Madison’s student association has come out against the proposal as well, saying the university can’t accommodate more students. The proposal now goes before the full Board of Regents on Friday for final approval.