Undergraduate Application and Enrollment Fee Increases

On Friday, June 9, the Board of Regents approved UW–Madison’s proposal to increase our application fee from $60 to $70. The last time our campus increased the undergraduate application fee was in June 2016 from $50 to $60 This change positions UW–Madison modestly in the top half of our public peers. In addition to the increase in the application fee, DEM has received approval from campus leadership to increase our enrollment deposit from $100 to the $200 maximum starting with the Spring 2024 enrollment term. The $100 deposit increase maintains UW–Madison’s standing in the bottom half of our peers. UW System policy allows campuses to collect a maximum enrollment deposit of $200 for incoming undergraduate students. Enrollment deposits are applied to student bills, they are not an additional fee and are waived for key populations. However, if a student provides a deposit and does not enroll, that amount is forfeited to the university and those funds are used to cover enrollment management related expenses. DEM has also requested that UW System Administration update their policy governing enrollment deposit fees to reflect the current peer market. We recommended a $500 maximum for undergraduate admission deposits to align with peer institutions and to match the $500 limitation currently established for UW–Madison graduate/professional programs. If the policy is updated, we would establish a $300 deposit fee beginning with the spring 2025 term.