University of Wisconsin System students would face a 5% tuition increase next year under a plan the system's president, Jay Rothman, unveiled Thursday.

Rothman told the state Assembly's universities committee that he will ask the Board of Regents at its April meeting to approve the increase for the 2023-24 academic year. If approved, the increase would mark the first time in a decade that tuition for in-state undergraduates has changed.

Rothman estimated that the tuition increase would raise about $38 million annually. Most of it would go to cover 4% system pay increases in each of the next two fiscal years, he said.

GOV. EVERS LOOKS TO SPEND $1.8B ON UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN CAMPUSES

Rothman didn't offer any further details on the increase. UW System spokesman Mark Pitsch didn't immediately respond to an email seeking more information about how the increase would apply across the system.

Republican lawmakers froze tuition for in-state undergraduates in 2013 but lifted the freeze in 2021, opening the door for regents to raise rates if they so choose. The board hasn't imposed any increase so far, relying on federal pandemic relief funds to cover costs.

Current undergraduate tuition for Wisconsin residents ranges from about $4,750 annually at the system's two-year schools to about $9,275 at UW-Madison, the system's flagship four-year university, according to system figures. Those costs don't include student fees and living expenses.

But like all other sectors, the system faces rising inflation, and Gov. Tony Evers' budget would leave the system about $130 million short of what regents say they need to run their campuses over the next two years.

Rothman said most of the pandemic relief money has been spent and that it helped stave off tuition increases but masked the system's financial challenges. High inflation over the past year has hurt the system's spending power and that financial uncertainty looms later in 2023 for the entire nation.

Republican state Rep. David Murphy, who chairs the universities committee, has authored a bill that would cap system tuition increases at the rate of inflation. The proposal has yet to get a hearing.

He told Rothman that he never imagined inflation would increase by more than 5%. He asked Rothman if he thought the bill was reasonable. Rothman said the goal was not to ensure the increase came under the rate of inflation, and that system leaders wanted to be "reasonable and focus on affordability."

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM HAS BANNED THE USE OF TIKTOK

Rothman added later that he's "extraordinarily sensitive" to rising costs for students. He pointed to the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, a proposal to provide four years of tuition and fees for students coming from families that earn less than $62,000. Evers' budget would provide $25 million for the program.

The promise program would not extend to UW-Madison students. That school implemented its own program to cover tuition for low-income students in 2018.

State Rep. Katrina Shankland, a Democrat whose district includes UW-Stevens Point, said she's worried about students from families that make more than $62,000.

She said many students attend the system's regional campuses like UW-Stevens Point because of the low cost, and that an increase could mean a student doesn't eat a third meal in a day or can't take the last class he or she needs to graduate. The Legislature's finance committee needs to commit more state aid to the system as it revises Evers' budget this spring, she said.

"The View" co-host Sunny Hostin slammed comedian Bill Maher's criticism of wokeness on Thursday and said the comedian should be "ashamed." 

Hostin argued that the term "woke" has been "co-opted" by the right and Maher himself. 

"He’s comparing woke with identity politics. He thinks woke means a diversity of opinion. That is not what woke meant in the mid-1900s. It’s not what woke meant during the civil rights movement. It’s not what woke meant during BLM. It’s not what woke means now. I think he should be ashamed of some of the things he has said about wokeness," Hostin said. 

BILL MAHER SKEWERS WOKE LEFT FOR NOT UNDERSTANDING FREEDOM: ‘FREEDOM SHOULD BE A LIBERAL THING’

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin asked Hostin why "diversity of opinion" shouldn't be part of the definition of "woke."

"That’s not what it meant. That was a co-opting of the term. That’s to take the power away from Black people for standing up for what we deserve from this country," Hostin told Farah Griffin. 

Farah Griffin asked again why "diversity of thought" wouldn't be included if the goal is to "reach as much diversity, inclusion and equity" as possible. 

"Diversity of thought is not equivalent of being woke. Woke is not a political term. Woke is a term about racism, about social injustice, about equality. It doesn’t mean you like Trump or you don't, it doesn't mean you’re MAGA or you're not. It doesn’t mean you’re Republican or you're not," Hostin continued. 

BILL MAHER, BRYAN CRANSTON BATTLE OVER CRITICAL RACE THEORY IN PODCAST DEBATE: ‘ESSENTIAL TO BE TEACHING’

Co-host Whoopi Goldberg argued that Republicans needed to "admit" they were "asleep." 

"That’s how I look at it. We were not asleep. We’ve always been aware of what needed to go to happen because we couldn’t go to sleep," Goldberg said. "You had to keep an eye on where you were heading and what you were doing and how you were handling yourself. The same way that we always have these things that we explain. When we were kids we were told, this is how you have to deal with the police. There was no time to go to sleep. That’s why I always say they were the ones who just woke up. They’re freaked out because this was not what they were expecting to see." 

The hosts discussed a clip of Maher saying "woke" started out as a "good thing" and turned into an "eye roll."

"Democrats sometimes can take it too far. I would categorize ‘liberal’ as different than ‘woke.’ Woke, which started out as a good thing, an alert to injustice, who could be against that? But then it became sort of an eye roll because they love diversity except of ideas. Abraham Lincoln was not a controversial figure among liberals. We liked him. Now they take his name off schools and tear down his statues. Really, Lincoln isn’t good enough for you?" Maher said during an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper. 

Goldberg criticized Maher in January 2022 for comments he made about COVID-19 and masking.

"You don’t have to do it, but stay away from everybody, because if you're the one who’s not paying attention, and you’re coughing and sneezing … then stay out of the public, man," she said at the time. "Nobody wants this. I don’t want it. And I think he’s forgetting that people are still at risk who cannot get vaccinated … little kids under the age of five, or people with health conditions."