Legislative Update
February 9th, 2017
3 out of 4 WTCS Budget Priorities Included in Governor’s Budget Bill
Governor Walker announced his 2017-19 Biennial State Budget proposal at the Capitol on February 8, with technical colleges in a strong starting position as the Legislative budget process begins. The following items are directly in line with the WTCS budget request, and we look forward to working with our legislative partners to ensure these important provisions remain in the bill through final passage.
- $5 million GPR increase for technical college General Aid
- 30% permanent cap on Outcomes Based Funding
- Increased need-based aid for technical college students equal to $700,000 in 2017-18 and $1,200,000 in 2018-19
The District Boards Association thanks Governor Walker for investing with confidence in the 16 colleges of the Wisconsin Technical College System.
We also look forward to serious policy discussions with legislators in the coming months on the merits of other proposals, including a technical college tuition freeze, as well as the proposed scrapping of a nationally-lauded Outcomes Based Funding model, just three years after implementation. We are just beginning to analyze the 1,000-page budget bill, and will share additional details of provisions impacting technical colleges as they become clear.