Wisconsin funds UW System and technical colleges differently: One ranks 43rd nationally, the other ranks 5th

Funding for Wisconsin's public higher education systems is a tale of two stories, one that is funded eighth worst in the country and another that is fifth best, according to a new report.

The report found that the University of Wisconsin System ranked 43rd nationally for per-pupil funding in 2021. Conversely, only four other states funded their two-year community or technical colleges better than Wisconsin.

The report by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum was released Thursday, a few weeks before the Legislature decides how much money to allocate to the Wisconsin Technical College System and the UW System for the next two years.

Here are five takeaways from the report:

Per-student funding in Wisconsin is now slightly better than national average

Public higher education institutions received about $16,000 per full-time student in the 2020-21 school year. That's about 2% higher than the national average and places Wisconsin in the middle of the pack at 24th best, the report said.

But the overall ranking conceals a sharp divide between the state's two systems.

Technical colleges received $17,153 per student in state and local tax and tuition funding — well above the U.S. average of $11,714.

Compare those figures to the UW System's two- and four-year campuses, where per-pupil funding was $15,079 while the national average was $17,733.

The key difference: Technical colleges receives local property tax support in addition to some state money while the UW System receives only state money. The report also noted that technical colleges are required by state law to provide a range of services to students free of tuition, such as English as a second language classes and adult high school.

UW System calls for investment

UW System President Jay Rothman called the report's findings on four-year campus funding levels "discouraging."

“Support for the UW System should not continue to fall further behind nationally if we are to be competitiveand thrive economically," he said in a statement. "Wisconsin’s future depends on developing and attracting talent now, and the UW is on the front lines of educating and graduating tens of thousands of students. However, UW’s talent pipeline that helps sustain Wisconsin’s economic vibrancy is stressed at a time when it is needed more than ever to meet workforce needs."

Gov. Tony Evers proposed a $305 million increase for the UW System over the next two years. Republicans will likely pare that back significantly.

Technical colleges offer context

The Wisconsin Technical College System cautioned against comparing its funding levels to others states, as the Wisconsin Policy Forum report did.

Most other states offer a more traditional community college system. Wisconsin technical colleges have expanded into liberal arts programming, but the campuses still mostly focus on skilled trades programs, which are more expensive, state Technical College System spokesperson Katy Pettersen said.

"We're not really talking apples-to-apples," she said.

The report is based on data from 2020-21, a year that she said may not best capture long-term trends due to the pandemic.

Another caveat is that the analysis is based on full-time equivalent enrollment. About 76% of technical college students in Wisconsin are part time, Pettersen said, but they still need access to the same services — career advising, tutoring, food pantry and more —that a full-time student may need.

Enrollment declines outpacing rest of country

Wisconsin's four-year campuses increased enrollment about 2% from 2019 to 2021, ranking eighth nationally. But the gains were offset by losses at two-year campuses. A 19% drop during this time period was third-worst in the country.

For both systems, enrollments are at their lowest point since 2000.

The UW System is trying a variety of strategies to fill more seats, Rothman said. UW-Green Bay is piloting direct admissions, which will automatically accept local high school students into college, no application needed beforehand. Other campuses are expanding dual-enrollment programs through which high school students can simultaneously earn high school and college credits.

Where do UW branch campuses fit into this picture?

Some of the largest enrollment declines have come at UW System's branch campuses. These previously operated as two-year campuses and were known as the UW Colleges.

A 2018 restructuring put the branch campuses under the oversight of specific four-year institutions. Enrollment had fallen even before the merger and has continued since then.

Rothman earlier this week ordered chancellors to audit the viability of the UW System's branch campuses and devise plans for how each campus could continue to operate. Among the suggestions he offered: moving the campuses to an online format, providing reskilling programs, partnering with a technical college or adding graduate programs. Some of the branch campuses have already adopted at least one of the approaches Rothman suggested.

There's no deadline for chancellors to submit their plans, UW System spokesperson Mark Pitsch said. The process will occur over the next few months.

"All options should be on the table," Rothman's memo said. "It is imperative that we are innovative and aggressive."

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @KellyMeyerhofer.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW System funding ranks 43rd nationally, report finds