Since the establishment of the tuition freeze in the University of Wisconsin System has met significant challenges in meeting the needs of students, while funding services at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. This year will mark the sixth year that the tuition freeze has impacted UWL. 

“Segregated fee funding is designed to provide funds for recreational, cultural, and leisure activities and groups that are not funded through other state appropriations,” said UWL Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance Bob Hetzel.  

Hetzel continued, “Segregated fees are not designed to be user fees but are intended to contribute to the culture of the University.” Since they are not user fees, all students are required to pay these fees.  

Tuition and segregated fees are not the same thing. Tuition is used to fund the cost of instruction and student support services. Segregated fees, instead, provide the funding for student activities, said Hetzel.  

The tuition freeze only placed a hold on tuition. This means that segregated fees, rates for the residence halls and meal plans are subject to increase with the need of funding for these services.  

In the past seven years, segregated fees have increased by $397 partially to fund the new Student Union and Recreation Eagle Center Addition Projects, according to Hetzel. In comparison to other colleges in the UW System, La Crosse is slightly higher than average.  

UWL students pay $77 dollars more than the students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and $243 less than students going to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, according to the UW System Segregated Fee Schedule for the 2017-2018 Doctoral & Comprehensive Academic Year.  

“UWL involves students in determining how segregated fees are used and what student programs and services should be funded,” said Hetzel. He continues to explain that The Segregated University Fee Allocation Committee, also known as SUFAC, is a committee within Student Senate that helps the Senate decide where Segregated fees should be designated to.  

The rates for Segregated Fees are reviewed every year and adjusted to fit the needs for the universities programs and operations. Segregated Fees help cover the cost of athletics, organized activities, university centers, counseling centers, the Health Center, the Recreational Center, the Child Care Center, Municipal services, the sports complex, the fieldhouse, U-Passes, and environmental sustainability.  

In order to meet the need for students, UWL creates an annual fund to give back to students in the form of scholarships.  “The UWL fund is really the bedrock of the foundation. It is gifts that come in annually that support all the other work that happens at the foundation,” said Annual Fund Director Taylor Wilmoth. 

Wilmoth included that the UWL Fund is on track to raise more funds than last year. “I am passionate for working for the UWL Fund and managing it, because of a couple of reasons. I see the hard work of our students who reach out to our alumni and talk to donors.” 

“I see the hard work and that is motivating to support them and come up with new ideas. Secondly, in general, I believe in the annual fund, which is what it is usually referred to, because it doesn’t always get the spotlight, but it really does help students and it helps students have more access to scholarships, in both number of awards available and dollar amount available,” said Wilmoth. 

Alumni and friends of the university donate to increase the amount of scholarship funds available. Last spring, UWL was able to award over 1.2 million dollars in scholarships, according to Wilmoth.  

The fund is able to support student’s tuition here at UWL to alleviate the financial cost of segregated fees.

“I’m hopeful that UWL will be able to keep increases for Segregated Fees as low as possible and manage any rate increases at the same level as the consumer price index,” said Hetzel. He continued to explain that he hopes that if the tuition freeze continues that the governor and legislature would provide new funding to the UW System.