A slightly higher percentage of students from outside Wisconsin would be allowed to enroll at University of Wisconsin System campuses for the first time in more than 40 years, starting next fall, under a compromise expected to be approved Friday by the UW Board of Regents.
A regents committee Thursday unanimously approved the compromise, raising the nonresident enrollment cap by 2.5% – from the current 25% cap to 27.5% on a three-year rolling average.
UW-Madison had proposed a nonresident enrollment cap of 30% on a rolling three-year average to help manage its enrollment. But it quickly became clear that the 30% cap wasn’t going to fly.
UW-Madison is responding to complaints that too many bright Wisconsin kids can’t get admitted to the flagship. While raising the nonresident cap, the campus also is pledging to offer 200 more freshman seats to Wisconsin residents.