Students attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and other campuses in the UW system might want to start tightening their belts. UW President Jay Rothman has called for a 3.75% hike in tuition fees for the upcoming school year, a jump from the current rates that the UW Board of Regents will vote on April 4. If greenlit, the move will mark the second consecutive increase after a decade-long tuition freeze ended last year, as per a release covered by the Chicago Tribune.

The latest uptick, claimed by Rothman to be in line with inflation rates, comes shortly after last year's 4.2% rise in costs. Navigating the economic realities that challenge them, Rothman posited that even after the proposed adjustments, the UW institutions remain "the most affordable in the Midwest." According to the report by ABC 7 Chicago, when room and board is piled into the equation, the average cost to attend for the in-state undergraduates would go up about 3.8%.

While reducing costs is on every student's mind, Rothman ensured that UW's commitment to financial prudence remained strong, stating, "Our universities are facing challenging economic realities, and students and parents should know that we plan to be good financial stewards," as the ABC 7 Chicago detailed in their coverage.

For those curious about the actual figures, a stroll through UW-Madison this fall could set back undergrads a proposed tuition and fees total of $11,604. Branch campuses offer a slight relief to the wallet, with UW-La Crosse coming in at $9,896; UW-Milwaukee at $10,398, and the bargain UW-Parkside at $8,271. As the Chicago Tribune noted, it's less at these branch campuses.