Fee increases at UW-L meant to offset tuition freeze put on by state

Housing fees have not increased in four years.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students will likely see some fee increases after a UW-Regents meeting today.

UW-L chancellor Joe Gow says to expect a 4 percent housing increase, as well as dining rates going up by $36 per semester.

Gow says the fees can help make up for the tuition freezes put on the university by the state legislature and the extra money will go toward on-campus housing renovations.

“A lot of them were built in the early 1960s,” Gow said. “They do not have elevators, so they’re not fully accessible. Also, they do not have sprinkler systems. 

“It’s really a question of updating them and fixing things that are beginning to wear out.”

The fee increases, Gow adds, are meant to be imposed gradually, as to not push students away.

“The regents watch this very closely, to try and avoid any sudden, dramatic fee increases,” he said, adding that housing fees have not risen in four years.