Wisconsin budget crisis- should I worry about a state school?

[California88]

Hi Everyone-

I got accepted to U Wisconsin (Madison) for a PhD in political science, but I'm concerned that the budget crisis will affect my life as a graduate student negatively because I am dependent on the state for 5 years of financial support. I have been guaranteed 5 years tuition waver, health insurance, and a stipend (amount yet to be told to me) but i'm concerned about the other effects that this crisis could have, research finding etc. While I was at UCLA the state declared bankruptcy and our tuition went up 30%, and I'm wary of taking a chance on a state school in a bankrupt state again.

I am choosing between U of Wisconsin and a private university, does anyone have any thoughts as to how the financial crisis might affect graduate students at U of Wisconsin? Thanks!

[Strangefox]

Hm, it's the second post I'm reading about Wisconsin's financial problems. I am just curious - why this state? Is financial situation there worse than in other parts of America?? Could somebody explain that to me? I mean, I thought that financial crisis had hit all states equally...

[Nurse Wretched]

Wisconsin is in the news because the governor, after granting $140 million in special-interest kickbacks to his supporters, is claiming that to fill a $137 million budget shortfall public employees should lose their collective bargaining rights. It's not in a particularly shaky financial situation, but bear in mind I'm from Michigan, and "shaky financial situation" is a way of life here.

I personally would not worry. The reality is that there are budget shortfalls everywhere, and no guarantee that a private university won't find itself short next year, particularly if funding dries up for a particular program. I'd be much more concerned about supporting the right of public employees to collectively bargain, because guess what GSIs are at public universities?

Edited February 20, 2011 by Nurse Wretched

[California88]

States have economies based on different factors- their main income source (manufacture, agriculture etc) the different tax levels and what they choose to invest in (ie schools, roads, welfare, subsidies). Although everyone is hurting, different states are feeling it differently based on a lot of these factors.

Here is an article to explain a bit of the Wisconsin drama: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2052705,00.html?xid=rss-mostpopular

Most of this is not financial as much as opposition to the government trying to get rid of the teacher's unions.

[anōnumos]

Hi California88,

While I was at UCLA the state declared bankruptcy and our tuition went up 30%, and I'm wary of taking a chance on a state school in a bankrupt state again.

I though you said that "[you] have been guaranteed 5 years tuition waver." Why should you care about any fluctuations of the tuition fee if you are not going to pay it anyway?! If the tuition changes, the corresponding item in your funding package will change appropriately. Am I wrong?

[qbtacoma]

Yeah, the thing with Wisconsin is not so much the budget shortfall as the implications for labor history. If the governor and the Republican-controlled legislature win this round and defang the unions, it is likely that the strategy they use to do it (an amendment to the budget dictating the unions' legal status and stripping rights, rather than negotiation) will spread to other states. Also, it is quite a dramatic situation: tens of thousands of people protesting, camping at the capitol building in the cold, schools closing, fleeing Democratic leaders, etc. and so forth.

[skeedy]

I've been stressing about this and am SO glad there's a thread. I will have my tuition covered for my first year of my Master's but I'm concerned about this talk to split UW-M from the rest of the University of Wisconsin system... I've read that this would be more costly for UW-M and would impact tuition. I can't afford (literally) to take chances if there won't be funding available my second year.

More here: http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_17418549?source=rss&nclick_check=1

[singlecell]

I would pay more attention to how research is funded within the department. When I visited Madison, I got the impression that Microbiology research was well funded by NIH and DOE, even DOD money. That should not be affected by University budget cuts since those dollars come from federal, not state, dollars. If you are worried, I think it would be okay to ask someone you met in your department of interest. I might email some current graduate students I met there to feel out if they are worried about the Collective Bargaining issues.

[qbtacoma]

Well I imagine that this is going to be laid out in the contracts, right? So if they promise funding for a second year, and anticipated sources dry up, they'll help scramble for more because that's what they promised you. However, I admit that I don't have a very strong sense of student rights or legal repercussions, but this is my impression from other threads on the forum. I think the best thing is to ask in the negotiation period what contingency plans they have, and straight up say that you can't afford to go if the money dries up. That's what I'll be doing.

[skeedy]

Well I imagine that this is going to be laid out in the contracts, right? So if they promise funding for a second year, and anticipated sources dry up, they'll help scramble for more because that's what they promised you. However, I admit that I don't have a very strong sense of student rights or legal repercussions, but this is my impression from other threads on the forum. I think the best thing is to ask in the negotiation period what contingency plans they have, and straight up say that you can't afford to go if the money dries up. That's what I'll be doing.

True, great point. I also appreciate the suggestions to talk to current graduate students because they might have a clearer idea (vs students UW-M might be trying to recruit, aka paint a better picture for.)

I think honesty IS the best policy, qbtacoma - and hopefully, the programs are honest as well about the state of their ability to provide funding.

[TeamCoco-Bollo]

Hi Everyone-

I got accepted to U Wisconsin (Madison) for a PhD in political science, but I'm concerned that the budget crisis will affect my life as a graduate student negatively because I am dependent on the state for 5 years of financial support. I have been guaranteed 5 years tuition waver, health insurance, and a stipend (amount yet to be told to me) but i'm concerned about the other effects that this crisis could have, research finding etc. While I was at UCLA the state declared bankruptcy and our tuition went up 30%, and I'm wary of taking a chance on a state school in a bankrupt state again.

I am choosing between U of Wisconsin and a private university, does anyone have any thoughts as to how the financial crisis might affect graduate students at U of Wisconsin? Thanks!

If you are in, I wouldn't be too worried about the current attack on unions (as you're already accepted and guaranteed funding) and the new lack of bargaining rights will affect teachers coming in more than the current batch (i doubt teachers will leave, although this is speculation). However, I think that the splitting of Madison from the UW system as a whole (and what they could mean for budgets, etc.) should definitely be on your radar: http://badgerherald....es_details_.php

Edited February 24, 2011 by TeamCoco-Bollo

[mostlytoasty]

Bumping this thread. I'm doing some research, but just wanted to see if anyone had info off the top of their head. What's the financial climate of UW-Madison these days? Any politics I should be aware of? I was just accepted to a PhD program in the humanities, no word on funding just yet.