Technical Colleges |
The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) is made up of 16 technical colleges with 49 campuses across the state. Online learning and blended options, a combination of online and in-class learning, is also available. Courses focus on hands-on training to develop professionals in the skilled trades, manufacturing, information technology, health care, agriculture, public safety, business, and many other fields. There are currently 339,247 students in the Wisconsin Technical College System, 170,159 (approximately 50.2%) of whom are women.
WTCS Funding Background Information
The Wisconsin Technical College System has three major revenue sources. In 2013-2014, these sources amounted to: $796.7 million in property taxes, $281.3 million in tuition and fees, and $102.9 million in state aid. As a result legislation passed in 2013, state aid increased by $406 million to provide to property tax relief, which means that the increased state aid will not benefit technical colleges. Currently, 90 percent of the state aid that is not dedicated towards property tax relief is used to help equalize spending between the 16 WTCS districts to provide more support to districts that have lower property valuations so that districts with lower property valuations receive adequate funding. The remaining 10 % of state aid is awarded based on nine different performance criteria, such as a school’s placement rate of students in jobs related to students’ field of study or the number of degrees awarded in high-demand fields.
Overall, the proposed budget froze state support for the WTCS. According to the Wisconsin Budget Project, actual state support for technical colleges has dropped by a third during the previous decade. During this time, the number of students enrolled in the system has increased by about 4%.
The Governor’s proposed budget also changed the proportion of state aid that is awarded based on the performance criteria mentioned above. The budget also added another criterion for the percentage of general state aid distributed in accordance with performance factors. Under the Governor’s proposal, the percentage would increase from the current level of 10% in fiscal year 2015-16 and increases by 10% per year until fiscal year 2019-20. At that time, 100% of general state aid will be distributed based on responsiveness to state needs.
The proposed budget also proposes a tuition freeze for those students pursuing training in high-need occupations. The Department of Workforce Development would determine which fields qualify. Program fees for qualifying courses would not be allowed to exceed the program fees for the same course in the same district in the most recent school year in which the course was offered.
The proposed budget also increased funding by $2.6 million for Technical Excellence Higher Education scholarships for high school graduates who excel in career and technical education courses. Each scholarship is worth $2,250 per academic year and is funded half by the state and half by the technical college in which the student enrolls.
The Governor’s proposed budget also changed the proportion of state aid that is awarded based on the performance criteria mentioned above. The budget also added another criterion for the percentage of general state aid distributed in accordance with performance factors. Under the Governor’s proposal, the percentage would increase from the current level of 10% in fiscal year 2015-16 and increases by 10% per year until fiscal year 2019-20. At that time, 100% of general state aid will be distributed based on responsiveness to state needs.
The proposed budget also proposes a tuition freeze for those students pursuing training in high-need occupations. The Department of Workforce Development would determine which fields qualify. Program fees for qualifying courses would not be allowed to exceed the program fees for the same course in the same district in the most recent school year in which the course was offered.
The proposed budget also increased funding by $2.6 million for Technical Excellence Higher Education scholarships for high school graduates who excel in career and technical education courses. Each scholarship is worth $2,250 per academic year and is funded half by the state and half by the technical college in which the student enrolls.
Governor Walker's Proposed Budget As Amended by the Joint Committee on Finance
The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) made two significant changes to the Governor’s proposed WTCS budget.
First, the committee identified the tuition freeze for high-demand fields as a non-fiscal policy item that the committee co-chairs decided to remove from the budget.
Second, the committee significantly changed the Governor’s proposal to eventually award all state aid to WTCS schools based on the schools’ responsiveness to state needs. Under the motion approved by JFC, the percentage of general aids distributed under the performance based funding formula would remain at 30% in 2017-18 and annually thereafter.
First, the committee identified the tuition freeze for high-demand fields as a non-fiscal policy item that the committee co-chairs decided to remove from the budget.
Second, the committee significantly changed the Governor’s proposal to eventually award all state aid to WTCS schools based on the schools’ responsiveness to state needs. Under the motion approved by JFC, the percentage of general aids distributed under the performance based funding formula would remain at 30% in 2017-18 and annually thereafter.
Final 2015-2017 Technical Colleges Budget
For the most part, the Legislature approved the Governor's technical colleges budget as amended by the JFC.
The level funding for technical colleges will do little to improve accessibility and affordability for women and girls who wish to attend technical colleges to develop professional skills and find good paying jobs. The Governor's proposal to eventually award all state aid to technical college based certain performance criteria would have greatly exacerbated disparities between technical school districts with differing property tax bases. While the JFC's actions still allow a larger share of state aid to be determined by performance criteria than is allowed under current law, capping this amount at 30% of all state aid will reduce the impact the Governor's proposal will have on funding disparities between districts. The increased funding for Technical Excellence Higher Education scholarships should help more high school girls have access to affordable technical college educations.
Resources
For more information on Wisconsin Technical Colleges, follow these links:
