Tuitions throughout the University of Wisconsin System will rise 5.5 percent for the 2012-13 academic year.

The Board of Regents approved the proposal Thursday at the UW-Milwaukee campus. The measure passed by a vote of 17-1.
The increase applies at the system's 13 four-year colleges and 13 two-year campuses.

UW System President Kevin Reilly proposed the maximum increase, saying the rate hikes would help compensate for cuts in state aid.

Regent Charles Pruitt said a tuition hike was a reasonable alternative to cuts that would lead to larger classes and students needing an extra year to graduate. But Regent John Drew said he couldn't vote for a tuition increase considering flat how resident incomes in the state have remained.

The average annual increase at the four-year schools is about $400.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Top officials in the University of Wisconsin System are meeting to discuss a possible tuition increase and other issues.

The Board of Regents is gathering at UW-Milwaukee for a two-day meeting starting Thursday morning.

One of the top agenda items is a proposal by UW System President Kevin Reilly to increase tuitions by 5.5 percent at all 13 four-year campuses.

A secondary item will be a recommendation to increase financial aid for low-income students. The board will also receive an update on precautions put in place after the Penn State sexual-abuse scandal.

If the tuition increase is approved, UW-Madison students would pay more than $10,000 annually in tuition and fees.

This is the sixth straight year that Reilly has recommended the maximum 5.5 percent tuition hike for in-state students.