Although the University of Wisconsin system knew an additional budget cut could be coming, officials are questioning the amount. The Department of Administration late Friday notified the UW-System that it could be losing $65.6 million beginning this school year into next.
The current state budget provided for $174.3 million of “lapses,” money that requires state agencies to return dollars allocated to them. The UW-System will absorb about 38 percent of the lapse in general purpose revenue while campuses use only about 7 percent of GPR dollars.
“We knew this safety valve was in the budget. We just need to know what share of this lapse the university needs to take and whether it needs to be this large,” says System spokesman David Giroux.
AUDIO: Giroux saying cuts translate to people affected (:26)
The new figures are in addition to the $250 million trimmed from campuses in the state budget. Giroux says UW officials are in the process of finding out more details from the Walker administration.