Wisconsin’s Budget Process

  • Every two years, the state creates a new biennial budget. The budget cycle is continuous, moving from preparation of agency budget requests to submission of the Governor’s budget to legislative authorization of appropriations, to agency expenditure of those appropriations, to review of agency expenditures and then, beginning again, with subsequent agency budget requests.
  • Each state agency, including the University of Wisconsin System, develops a biennial budget request in the Spring and Summer of each even numbered year for the following biennial budget period. The Board of Regents of the UW System reviews budget initiatives as it prepares its biennial budget request, which includes UW–Madison’s budget. During the Fall of each even numbered year, the Board of Regents submits its budget request to the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration.
  • Budget Process Overview for the Universities of Wisconsin (PDF)

Timeline

  • November (even-numbered year): Agency budget request submitted to the governor. The governor reviews the request.
  • February (odd-numbered year): Governor introduces budget proposal.
  • March: Governor releases capital budget.
  • April – May: Joint Finance Committee modifies governor’s budget and capital budget.
  • June: Assembly and Senate act on budget.
  • July: Governor signs budgets; issues vetoes.

 

Universities of Wisconsin 2025-27 Biennial Budget Request

Open All

On August 22, 2024, the UW System Board of Regents voted to approve the Universities of Wisconsin’s operating budget request for the 2025-27 biennium. Highlights of the proposed $855 million budget request include:

  • Emphasizes talent development through student success services.
  • Extends the Wisconsin Tuition Promise to students from families earning up to $71,000 in adjusted gross income.
  • Proposes 5 percent and 3 percent general wage increases for staff and faculty, and requests the state fully fund the increases while adding a merit and market pool.
  • Invests in innovation, including creation of a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hub.
  • Preserves accessibility while covering inflationary cost increases.
  • Support of several initiatives that address student success, including mental health services, academic and career advising, and civil dialogue training

 

2025-27 Biennial Budget Recommendations PowerPoint (PDF)

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman Introduction of the budget request 

Process

The Department of Administration, Division of Facilities Development and Management receives budget requests from all state agencies and makes a single recommendation to the State of Wisconsin Building Commission. The Building Commission then makes a recommendation to the Legislature through the biennial budget process.

 

2025-27 Capital Budget Request

On August 22, 2024, the UW System Board of Regents unanimously approved a proposed 2025-27 Capital Budget Request of $1,760,804,000. Key strategic elements of the Capital Budget recommendations include:

  • Repairing Aging Facilities – The highest priority programs are designed to repair or renovate aging facilities and infrastructure, thereby reducing deferred maintenance backlogs. A recommended $260 million is proposed to address high priority needs in existing facilities ensuring their viability for the foreseeable future. These projects offset increasing operational costs due to the labor-intensive need to continually maintain the facilities to keep them functioning.
  • Replacing Obsolete Facilities – $467 million is requested to construct new facilities to replace existing ones that cannot be renovated cost-effectively to meet academic or program needs. Simultaneously, due to the enumeration of a Multi-Building Demolition project earlier this year, universities currently are on track to remove at least 12 facilities over the course of the next year.
  • Expanding STEM and Health Sciences Education – Requests for state funding focus on providing high-quality, up to date facilities that support workforce needs, attract, and retain Wisconsin students, and expand highly sought-after STEM and health sciences education.

2025-31 Capital Plan Overview PowerPoint (PDF)