OPINION

FISC tuition promise is a win-win for families, farmers and WI

Rep. Amy Loudenbeck
Farm and Industry Short Course logo

MADISON – Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) applauds and proudly supports the announcement today that UW-Madison recently announced it is creating a Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC) Tuition Promise.

FISC is a 16-week educational program that started in 1885 and is uniquely designed to prepare students for careers in agriculture. The courses offered by FISC enable students to have opportunities to learn about soils, forages, communications, agribusiness, human relations, communications, dairy, meat animals, agricultural engineering, farm business planning, and more.

I’m thrilled that UW-Madison will begin offering the FISC Tuition Promise to provide 100% of tuition and fees to Wisconsin residents with household adjusted gross income of $60,000 or less starting in the fall of 2021.

As the cost of higher education has increased exponentially over the last two decades, numerous efforts were made starting in 2010 to keep costs down for “traditional” students by freezing undergraduate tuition and increasing scholarship opportunities, such as Bucky’s Tuition Promise. Unfortunately, FISC students are categorized differently which resulted in them being subjected to significant increases in tuition, fees and housing over the last 10 years which has made the program unaffordable for many families.

We know Wisconsin family farms are facing a lot of challenges, and the FISC Tuition Promise will help prepare students for a successful career in agriculture by providing a high quality educational program they can afford.

Wisconsin State Assembly Representative Amy Loudenbeck, District 31 (R-Clinton)

I sincerely appreciate the willingness of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences faculty and staff to work with me to figure out a way to support the next generation of young farmers by leveraging the support of FISC graduates and supporters instead of taxpayer dollars. It is truly a win-win-win for families, farmers, and all of Wisconsin.”

Students can apply now to FISC for fall 2021 courses. Scholarship decision announcements, including FISC Tuition Promise, begin in the spring. For more on the program, visit fisc.cals.wisc.edu.

Wisconsin State Assembly Rep. Amy Loudenbeck represents District 31