UW-River Falls

UW System Return to Wisconsin Pilot Program

General Description

On November 7, 2003, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents authorized a pilot program offering discounted tuition to the eligible non-resident children and grandchildren of alumni . Tuition rates for eligible individuals would be discounted to a rate equal to regular non-resident undergraduate tuition less 25% but not less than the projected cost of that student's education. The student would continue to pay all other costs at rates applicable to other students. Participation would continue for subsequent terms as long as the student remains in good standing and makes satisfactory academic progress. The pilot program is to be effective with the Fall 2004 session and will run for a period of three years. After this period, the program will be evaluated and a recommendation made to the Board regarding continuation. The primary goal of the program is to increase non-resident enrollments thereby generating additional financial support for resident enrollments. It is also hoped that providing such a benefit will enhance development opportunities by strengthening relationships with campus alumni.

Eligibility

Qualifying Alumni
The program is open to students whose parent or grandparent graduated (with associates, bachelors, masters or doctoral degree) from the institution the student will be attending . For purposes of this program, parents include biological, adoptive, step or legal parents and/or legal guardians. Grandparents are defined as the biological or adoptive parent of a person who has a biological or adopted child.

Qualifying Student
Eligible Non-resident students include those from states other than Wisconsin and Minnesota as well as residents of US territories and foreign countries.

The program is open to all new and continuing non-resident students beginning with the Fall 2004 session.

Documentation of Eligibility

Participating students will be asked to submit a signed and notarized certification attesting to their relationship to an eligible alumnus . This document is to include at least the following key elements:
Full name of student

State/Country of student residency
Full name of eligible alumnus (current and at graduation, if different)
Graduation date of qualifying alumnus
Relationship of qualifying alumnus (only those listed below qualify)
1. Biological Parent
2. Adoptive Parent
3. Step Parent
4. Legal Guardian
5. Biological grandparent
6. Adoptive grandparent
Signature of eligible alumnus attesting to relationship. In cases where the qualifying alumnus is deceased, prospective program participants are required to present the date of birth and social security number of the deceased. Institutions may, at their discretion, seek formal documentation to substantiate claimed status. Such documentation might include birth and/or marriage certificates, adoption papers or other documentation deemed appropriate.

Application and Documentation of Eligibility (.pdf)

The form should be sent to: Admissions Office, 410 South Third St. River Falls, WI 54022.

Relevant Fees

The 25% discount under this program applies to the total non-resident academic fees normally assessed to non-resident students. It does not apply to differential tuitions, segregated fees, housing, food service or other fees which may be assessed to these students.

Limits on Benefit

There are no limits as to the duration and/or cumulative benefit which may accrue to students under this program as long as the student remains in good standing and makes satisfactory academic progress as defined by the institution under US Department of Education guidelines for federal Financial Aid programs.

Should the program sunset after its three year pilot period, students already receiving the benefit may continue to pay the reduced Return to Wisconsin rate as long as they maintain continuous enrollment and make satisfactory progress toward an undergraduate degree.

The program does not apply to graduate program tuition and fees.

Institutional Caveats

The Board has stipulated that this program cannot displace resident students at the institution . Enrollments will be considered outside the institution's enrollment management target.

Institutions should make clear in any marketing or other communications that the program offers no preference with respect to admissions . All participants are subject to the same admission criteria as other students seeking to attend the institution.

The program discount applies only to the regular non-resident tuition rates . All other applicable fees, charges and expenses are not to be discounted.

Information to be maintained/developed at participating institutions

Institutions must track the number of Return to Wisconsin applicants seeking participation in the program through data collected in the application process. A single question will be added to the undergraduate UW System applications asking students to self-identify themselves as potentially eligible for the program, i.e. that they have a parent, grandparent, etc. who graduated from the UW institution to which they are applying.

In addition, participating institutions must track actual Return to Wisconsin enrollments . This will be facilitated through information collected on the eligibility document detailed above as well as through "flagging" the student as a Return to Wisconsin Student on the CDR. It is anticipated that the CDR process will have elements added to note participation in the program and alumni relationship (e.g., parent, grandparent, etc.). Note that state of origin is already part of the CDR.

Institutions will be allowed to retain 100% of the tuition collected under this program.

Finally, the Board of Regents expressed an interest in understanding the impact of the program on diversity efforts at participating institutions. Accordingly, institutions will be asked to assess such impact and explain how the program helped/hindered campus efforts to bring additional diversity to the student body .

Resources for

Do you have a question?

More Resources: