It’s no secret that higher education comes at a cost. A recent WIndicator, Returns to Higher Education,  from Steven Deller reviews the trade-offs in how higher education is financed. Public universities are funded, in part, by tax dollars with a portion of the cost of attendance covered by the state and the remainder paid by students as tuition and fees. This portion of tuition charged to students has varied throughout the decades.

Wisconsin residents attending the University of Wisconsin—Madison in the 1940-1941 academic year paid a mere $65 per semester for tuition & fees, which is the equivalent of $1,375 after adjusting for inflation. Today’s older Baby Boomers who headed off to college in 1970 paid $508 per semester ($3,980 in 2022 dollars), Boomers attending in 1980 paid $976 per semester ($3,442 in 2022 dollars), and Gen Xers paid $2,108 in 1990 ($4,900 in 2022 dollars). This year, Wisconsin residents pay about $10,722 per semester in tuition and fees to attend UW-Madison.

The national trend has been to shift the cost of an education from the state to the student. Using 2020 dollars to compare, the average state covered roughly $27,681 of the total cost of tuition per student in 1980. Wisconsin’s investment per full-time student was higher than the national average in 1980. After adjusting to 2020 dollars, the State of Wisconsin covered $30,599 of the total cost of tuition per student in 1980, with the remaining inflation-adjusted $6,882 ($3,442 per semester) paid by the student.

This brings us to today’s quiz question. In 2020, the average state paid $8,636 of the cost of tuition per student, a decline of 68.8% from 1980. What was the State of Wisconsin’s investment per student, or the amount of tuition it covered, in 2020? 

A. $2,882
B. $5,835
C. $7,884
D. $8,547
E. $14,783

We are hiring a Community Economic Development (CED) Specialist to be part of a talented team of researchers, specialists, and educators. This new CED Specialist will provide leadership in working with communities to help better understand development opportunities through market analysis techniques and applied research, intending to foster growth and development in neighborhood, community, and downtown business districts. 

There are about 50,000 employer businesses owned by people over 55 years old in Minnesota. Or about 50% of the businesses in the state. Not all businesses are destined to survive the departure of their founding owners and leaders. But how do we help keep the ones that could? Minnesota is not unusual; other states face the same challenge. This webinar will describe efforts at the University of Minnesota Extension to work across organizations to raise awareness among business owners and create support for business succession and transition (BST) planning in rural areas. Join us for a virtual webinar as we discuss the importance of supporting business succession planning in rural communities with guest presenter, Michael Darger.

The movement of employees to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been well-documented. Indeed, the Census Bureau recently reported that the number of people working primarily from home tripled between 2019 and 2021. This shift certainly caused hardship among some employees but was widely embraced by many others. With the World Health Organization noting that the pandemic is nearing its end, employees, businesses and communities face questions regarding the future of remote work. This webinar explores trends in remorse work and offers insights into questions about the future of remote work. 

On October 12, Nicolet College in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, hosted the 2022 Northwoods Economic Development Summit, featuring special guest, Neel Kashkari, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. After the town hall, UW Extension’s Economic Development Administration University Center took the stage to share the latest local data on the Northwoods economy, focusing on workforce development, entrepreneurship, changes in late-pandemic consumer expectations, and the next wave in community economic development. Explore the presentations and resources shared during the summit. 

There is still time to join one of the remaining Small Community Forums! Small Community Forums allow residents in these communities to come together, address common issues, network, share best practices, and identify strategies to address shared concerns. Representatives from many state and regional resource partners will be on hand to connect with attendees and provide guidance on specific concerns introduced during the sessions.

UW-Madison Division of Extension Community Food Systems Program is organizing a 2-day virtual summit for Wisconsin food entrepreneurs! The 2022 FEED Summit will be held virtually on November 14th and 15th, from 10 am to 4 pm. The Community Food Systems Program's Food Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (FEED) Initiative is a statewide program that promotes food entrepreneurship training and network development for value-added producers and individuals facing structural barriers to food entrepreneurship. Early bird registration starts at $45 for participants and at $65 for Exhibitors. All are welcome to this learning, connecting, and promotional space to help your food business THRIVE!

(Office of the Governor - 10/4/2022)

(OnFocus - 9/28/2022)

Digital Navigator Position to Teach Forest County Residents All About Basic Computer and Internet Skills

(WXPR - 9/21/2022)

(The Forest Republican - 9/15/2022)