30 May Doyle urges support of higher education spending
Madison, Wis. – Saying his higher education initiatives would increase the number of college graduates, engineers, and teachers, Gov. Jim Doyle has urged lawmakers to advance his spending plans for Wisconsin colleges and universities.
Doyle has proposed the direct spending of $225 million to create more seats for incoming students, build on research capabilities, and recruit more faculty members. The Legislature is considering this and other measures as it works on the 2007-09 state budget.
“We are at a critical point,” Doyle said in a Madison appearance. “Unless we make a major investment in our universities, our state and our students will suffer.”
According to the Governor’s office, Doyle’s proposals will generate a 32 percent increase in engineers, an 18 percent increase in nurses, and a six percent increase in teachers, while maintaining the second lowest in-state tuition in the Big 10.
The proposals also include a $44 million increase in financial aid. Wisconsin high school students score among the highest on national ACT scores, but only about half of the state’s high school students go straight to college.
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