Have you heard about the proposed state-wide budget cuts? Did you know that the UW System will lose $300 million from its budget between 2015 to 2017? And did you know that UW-La Crosse budget will be cut by over $15 million over the next two years?
If you didn’t know all of this, you’re not alone. Many students are uninformed about the details of this cut, and some haven’t even heard of the budget cut before.
Freshman Jackson Schuette had some knowledge about the budget cuts, but admitted he could be more informed. “I’m not sure what the cuts will affect, except I heard some professors will be laid off.”
Schuette is a Biology major and part of the College of Science and Health, which comprises over 50 percent of the university population.
When asked about the 7 percent reduction across the board to supplies, he said, “I’m happy that it is only a 7 percent cut, given that it could be much worse. I don’t know how much other areas are being cut percentage-wise, but if those numbers are smaller than 7 percent, I feel like a college so involved with science and health should have a smaller cut to this area.”
After learning about the budget cut, Schuette stated, “[I have] no doubt that my education would be a little more limited due to these cuts.”
UW-L Student Senate Senator Alissa Yakes offered, “The most important thing a student should do is to get informed on the topic; talk to your senators, have conversations, do research, etc. Reach out to legislators in your hometown or in the La Crosse area.”
She added, “Students should remember we are major stakeholders in the UW System; without us, it would not exist. Your education is a huge investment in yourself and your future, and you have a right to speak out about what’s happening to it.”
What do you know about the budget cut? The estimated total cost of attending our school for just one year is toppling over $15,000. You will have to pay back those loans that make college seem “free” right now, and it will likely take you many years before you’re student debt-free. With this number in mind, don’t you want to make the most of your education? You do have a say in your education. I urge my fellow students to follow Yakes’ advice: get informed and speak up… because you will pay the price later.