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Wisconsin-Minnesota reciprocity agreement could be in trouble
Students from both states may have to pay more in tuition
By Kevin Lessmiller
A reciprocity agreement between University of Wisconsin schools and the University of Minnesota could be in jeopardy, and Wisconsin students attending school in Minnesota campuses may have to pay more tuition.
According to a Jan. 24 report by the State of Wisconsin Higher Education Aids Board, Minnesota and Wisconsin are currently negotiating the updating of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity Agreement.
The same report states that students currently studying under the agreement will be able to study under the same agreement and circumstances next year.
Reciprocity applications for the 2007-2008 school year will be available online in April, after more information about the new agreement is released. Applications can be found on the Higher Education Aids Board Web site, www.heab.wi.gov.
Under the current agreement, students participating in the reciprocity program pay tuition comparable to that of a campus in their home state. For example, Wisconsin students attending UM-Twin Cities will be charged the tuition rate of University of Wisconsin, and vice versa.
“Right now, students from Minnesota pay Minnesota tuition to attend school here in Wisconsin,” said Carla Behnke, Registration Specialist for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Registration.
Changes in the reciprocity agreement, or if Minnesota backs out of the agreement completely, could cost students from both states more money in annual tuition.
“Minnesota students would pay about an additional $4,000 a year in tuition,” Behnke said.
A report published by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education in January 2007 showed a substantial increase in student participation in the program.
In 1985, 8,659 Minnesota students attended Wisconsin schools through the reciprocity program. During the same year, 4,579 Wisconsin students attended a University of Minnesota college.
For the 2005-2006 academic year, however, 13,585 Minnesota students went to school in Wisconsin, compared to 11,418 Wisconsin students attending Minnesota schools.
Of the 13,585 students, 3,174 attended the University of Wisconsin, while only 344 were enrolled at UW-Milwaukee.
On the Wisconsin side, 5,620 students attended UM-Twin Cities, 1,965 went to Winona State University and 955 were enrolled at UM-Duluth.
There is one striking difference between Minnesota and Wisconsin found in the January report by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. During the 2005-2006 school year, Minnesota students paid 97 percent of their tuition, while the state of Minnesota paid for the remaining 3 percent.
In Wisconsin, students paid 86 percent of tuition and the state paid for 14 percent.
The Minnesota-Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity Agreement began in 1968.
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