2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-3143/1
ARG:ajk&emw
October 9, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Hutton and Nass, cosponsored by Representatives Melotik, Murphy, Behnke, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Dittrich and Wichgers. Referred to Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges.
SB532,1,2
1An Act to amend 36.27 (1) (a); to create 36.27 (1) (c) of the statutes; relating
2to: course fees at University of Wisconsin System institutions. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law authorizes the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to establish tuition and fees for educational programs, including special course fees.
This bill prohibits a UW System institution from charging a student an online course fee for enrolling in a course offered exclusively online unless the fee is charged to cover the institution’s actual costs in offering the course online that would not be incurred if students attended the course in person.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB532,13Section 1. 36.27 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: SB532,2,5436.27 (1) (a) Subject to par. pars. (b) and (c), the board may establish for 5different classes of students differing tuition and fees incidental to enrollment in
1educational programs or use of facilities in the system. Except as otherwise 2provided in this section, the board may charge any student who is not exempted by 3this section a nonresident tuition. The board may establish special rates of tuition 4and fees for the extension and summer sessions and such other studies or courses of 5instruction as the board deems advisable. SB532,26Section 2. 36.27 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read: SB532,2,9736.27 (1) (c) The board shall ensure that no student is charged an incidental 8or supplemental fee for enrolling in a course offered exclusively online unless any of 9the following applies: SB532,2,12101. The fee is charged to cover actual costs incurred by an institution that are 11specifically attributable to offering the course online and that would not be incurred 12by the institution if students attended the course in person. SB532,2,14132. The fee is also charged for enrolling in an equivalent course offered for in-14person attendance. SB532,315Section 3. Initial applicability. SB532,2,1716(1) This act first applies to the first semester or session beginning at least 30 17days after the effective date of this subsection.
