Wisconsin’s technical colleges are asking for $168 million in the state’s next two-year budget, including $59.4 million in general aid for the 2027-29 budget.
The Wisconsin Technical College System currently has 293,000 students at 16 colleges in the state.
The budget request, approved by the board this week, includes $22.6 million for industry sector grants to address workforce shortages and $54.2 million in funding for dual enrollment classes for high schoolers.
“Wisconsin’s technical colleges deliver results for students, employers and taxpayers every day,” WTCS President Layla Merrifield said in a statement. “Every firefighter in the state is certified at a technical college. Every dental hygienist, law enforcement officer, and respiratory therapist is educated at a technical college. All are currently in short supply across Wisconsin, due to the combined effects of retirements and chronic underfunding of the WTCS. The need is urgent, and the time to act is now.”
