Evers budget bill includes funding increase for UW, compensation plan for employees

Governor Tony Evers budget proposal for the 2025-27 biennium includes a significant investment in the Universities of Wisconsin and a compensation plan for employees to help retain talented faculty and staff. “With Wisconsin currently ranking 43^rd out of 50 states in state support for higher education, it is a critical moment to invest in one of Wisconsin’s greatest resources and economic engines,” UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin says. “The governor’s call for significant investment is especially important as higher education in Wisconsin and across the nation face tremendous uncertainty and risks to federal funding.” “Governor Evers’ budget for the Universities of Wisconsin demonstrates his desire to win the War for Talent by investing in our 13 public universities,” Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman says. “His proposal also ensures the UWs can maintain the access and affordability students deserve and parents expect.” Evers’ budget proposes:

• $856 million in additional over the biennium to the University of Wisconsin System.
• Included within the $856 million, an investment of more than $104 million over the next two years to invest in innovative technologies like new curriculum and classroom applications, online programs, and research and faculty recruitment in emerging fields like artificial intelligence. This includes investments in the Dairy Innovation Hub and the Freshwater Collaborative.
• $6.3 million in spending to establish a statewide Parkinson’s Disease registry through the UW-Madison Population Health Institute.
• More than $83 million is proposed over the biennium to career readiness, experiential learning, civil dialogue training and other initiatives to enhance the state’s talent pipeline. This includes $1 million for UniverCity Alliance, and $2 million to support journalism fellowships on Universities of Wisconsin campuses.
• The budget proposal also calls for $22 million over the biennium to support student mental health services.
• More than $64 million is apportioned to cover basic costs to continue at UW System campuses.

Evers’ budget also includes state support to fully fund a compensation plan for UW employees. This investment over the biennium to increase compensation for Universities of Wisconsin employees helps with recruitment and retention in a competitive environment. “This is essential for us, as we work to recruit and retain excellent instructors, top notch researchers and dedicated staff. Full funding of the compensation plan is an investment in the people that make us great and will help us to retain top talent,” Mnookin says. The budget bill now goes to the legislature, which will debate and amend it this spring before sending it back to the governor. A separate bill with Evers’ proposals for capital building projects will be introduced in the coming weeks. To learn more about the latest UW–Madison budget news, resources and priorities, visit the state budget website, and subscribe to the twice monthly Government Relations newsletter.