Green Bay, Wis.  — University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and its Athletic Department announced today changes to the Phoenix NCAA Division 1 Student Athlete Tuition Waiver Program. Beginning July 2020, student athletes competing in men's and women's Swimming and Diving and Nordic Ski will no longer be eligible for athletic tuition waivers from the University. Student athletes competing in these sports will instead be eligible for support through private scholarships.

"There is no question that the Phoenix athletic program is one of our biggest assets," UW-Green Bay Chancellor Gary L. Miller noted. "Our DI student athletes excel in the classroom, serve as campus and community leaders and represent the university with great poise across the country. We are fully committed to the program, and like every organization, we constantly review our programs and make adjustments to increase quality, improve financial standing, or grow. By making this move, we are positioning the entire program for continued excellence."
 
"This shift in strategy without discontinuing any sport offerings is intended to right-size the revenue-expense profile for our Phoenix athletics program," Green Bay Athletics Director Charles Guthrie shared when making the announcement. "We continue to be committed to these exciting sports as part of our portfolio and will recruit and field teams in these areas as we compete actively in the Horizon League."

The Swimming and Diving and the Nordic Ski programs will continue to compete at the NCAA Division I level.

Tuition waivers are used by some schools as a method to decrease the academic costs that non-student athletes pay. Waivers are commonly used by universities to attract and retain student athletes, but universities across the U.S., including other Division I institutions in Wisconsin, are increasingly using both waivers and private scholarships in their recruiting efforts.

Waivers pose an ongoing challenge to universities that are operating with thin or breakeven athletics budgets. "While the University is currently not paying for the tuition of waiver athletes, it is also not collecting tuition revenue from these students," said UW-Green Bay Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance Sheryl VanGruensven. "We are not able to continue to absorb these costs and are confident that with a focus on fundraising, there are opportunities to seek privately funded athletic scholarships for these programs while ensuring the long-term health of our athletics program."

The change will be phased in over the next year to provide students and parents with opportunities to make adjustments. Current UW-Green Bay student athletes in the four designated programs who have been granted tuition waivers and continue to compete and student athletes entering UW-Green Bay who have signed a national letter of intent and compete at UW-Green Bay will receive waivers through the 2019-2020 academic year (ending June 30, 2020). Guthrie expects the change to impact approximately 50-60 students.

About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a comprehensive public institution offering undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs to more than 8,000 students with campus locations in Green Bay, Marinette, Manitowoc and Sheboygan. Established in 1965 on the border of Green Bay, the University and its campuses are centers of cultural enrichment, innovation and learning. The Green Bay campus is home to one of the Midwest's most prolific performing arts centers, a nationally recognized 4,000-seat student recreation center, Division 1 Athletics, an award-winning nine-hole golf course and a five-mile recreational trail and arboretum, which is free and open to the public. This four-campus University transforms lives and communities through student-focused teaching and research, innovative learning opportunities, powerful connections and a problem-solving approach to education. UW-Green Bay's main campus is centrally located, close to both the Door County resort area and the dynamic economies of Northeast Wisconsin, the Fox Valley region and the I-43 corridor. UW-Green Bay offers in-demand programs in science, engineering and technology; business; health, education and social welfare; and arts, humanities and social sciences. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.

FAQs regarding Green Bay Athletics and the waiver program transition:
Q:        What changes are being made to the UW-Green Bay University Waiver Exchange Program?
A:            The level of funding available through the University waiver exchange program is going to be reduced starting in the 2020-2021 academic year. After the Athletics department and University looked strategically at the various waiver offerings, there will no longer be any waiver support for two athletic programs (Swimming and Diving and Nordic Ski).

Q:           What is a student-athlete tuition waiver?
A:            A student-athlete tuition waiver is a form of financial support provided by the University and Athletic Department to a student-athlete on a collegiate athletics team. This waiver applies to partial or full cost of tuition. Per the NCAA, full scholarships cover tuition and fees, room, board and course-related books. The majority of student-athletes who receive athletics scholarships through the University receive an amount covering only a portion of these costs.
 
Q:           Which sports/student-athletes will this change impact?
A:            Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving and Men's and Women's Nordic Ski

Q:           How many student-athletes will be impacted?
A:            Between 50-60 student-athletes will be impacted by this change.

Q:           When will these changes take effect?
A:            The Athletics department will be providing student-athletes with a one-year notification of this change. Changes will take place beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year. In the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year, student-athletes in these two programs will continue to receive the same level of waiver support as they did in 2018-2019.
 
Q:           How were UW-Green Bay's athletic portfolio of sports evaluated, and why are these the only two programs selected for this adjustment?
A:            The Athletics department evaluated all sport offerings. The ultimate decision narrowing down to these two athletic programs was based on several factors, including but not limited to: roster size, revenue generation, conference affiliation, operational budget costs and other financial implications. The department's priority was to continue to maintain a 16-sport portfolio of athletic teams, while not eliminating any athletic programs. Removing waiver support for these two programs, while still keeping an avenue open to provide scholarships through fundraising, proved to be the most viable option.
 
Q:           UW-Green Bay has provided student-athletes with waivers for many years. Why is the program changing now?
A:            The University waiver exchange program is not being funded to the same level it has in the past starting in the 2020-2021 academic year. This was a strategic decision made to more closely align overall revenues to expenses.
 
Q:           How unusual is it for a Division 1 institution to have some students on waivers and some who are not?
A:            UW-Green Bay's approach mimics many Division I institutions in this way. It is extremely rare for an Athletic Department to have all of its student-athletes receiving full aid. As an institution, 78% of the student-athletes at UW-Green Bay are on a partial scholarship, 10% receive the full cost of attendance, 7% receive full grant-in-aid and 5% do not receive any aid.
 
Q:           Is the UW-Green Bay athletic program financially healthy?
A:            With the rising cost to compete at a high level, recruit quality student-athletes, travel efficiently and staff 16 athletic teams, the department is challenged like the majority of its peers as a small NCAA Division I mid-major department. Revenue has not increased to the level of increased expenses, resulting in the need to evaluate our operations. While the fundraising and external revenue streams continue to be healthy, they still are not at the level needed to provide waivers for all student-athletes.
 
Q:           Who made the decision?
A:            The Director of Athletics and the University's executive leadership team decided to make the change to align the Athletics budget with other University department units.
 
Q:           Do you expect students who are currently attending UW-Green Bay on a waiver to leave?
A:            The department understands this change was one that the student-athletes did not anticipate when signing to attend the University. The department will do its best to assist any Green Bay student-athlete who seeks to move on from UW-Green Bay. The department strongly believes a focus on fundraising efforts for scholarships will aid in keeping student-athletes as a mechanism of replacing waiver support with private funding.
 
Q:           How does this change impact the University's NCAA Division 1 status?
A:            Division I status is dependent on the number of sports at an institution, not the number of sports in which athletes receive aid. The department is not eliminating any program, instead it is no longer providing tuition waivers for two programs. This decision will not affect the University's NCAA Division I status.
 
Q:           Why didn't the University spread out the impact across all 16 programs in athletics?
A:            The decision to impact these two selected programs was made with various factors in mind, including roster size, program operational costs, ability to compete at the Division I level, revenue generation, opportunities to win Horizon League championships, and others. Revenue has not increased to the level of increased expenses, resulting in the need to evaluate specific operations. While the fundraising and external revenue streams continue to be healthy, they still are not at the level needed to provide waivers for all student-athletes.
 
Q:           Will there be future cuts?
A:            Currently there are no plans for further reductions.
 
Q:           What about recent large scale projects like the new soccer stadium and scoreboard?
A:            Recent facility upgrades such as the new Kress Center scoreboard and Aldo Santaga Soccer Stadium were funded through private donations or student voted fees. There are also additional plans for softball enhancements this summer which will be 100% funded through private donations. The athletic department will continue to look to accomplish projects and initiatives utilizing private donations or earned income such as ticket sales and merchandising.
 
Q:           What is the total dollar impact of the tuition waiver reductions?
A:            The projected dollar impact for the reductions is around $580,000.
                 
Q:           As a student-athlete impacted by this change, what are my rights?
A:            Student-athletes are encouraged to apply for scholarships available through the University. The athletic department will assist in notifying student-athletes of available outside scholarship opportunities as they arise. Some student-athletes may choose to request a transfer from UW-Green Bay to another institution, and Green Bay Athletics and the University will support the student-athlete's decision if they choose to do so.
 
Q:           Who can I talk to about this decision?
A:            Student-athletes are advised to speak to Kassie Batchelor, Sr. Associate AD. Donors and fans should contact Molly Vandervest, Sr. Associate AD, and parents of affected student-athletes may contact Charles Guthrie, UW-Green Bay Athletics Director.
 
Q:           How can the University afford to pay for travel, accommodations and expenses to play in
               postseason tournaments such as the CIT and WNIT in basketball?
A:            Some postseason tournaments, such as the CIT and WNIT in basketball, or the NIVC in volleyball, carry a fee for different reasons. Most postseason tournaments only charge a fee if the school decides to host a home game. Specifically to this season, the CIT covers all travel related expenses and the cost for officials. Hosting games in the CIT or WNIT, which Green Bay did this season, does come with a fee. Fortunately, the department had a special donor step up to help fund these costs, with the remaining costs paid for through the generation of revenue by the program throughout this season. Specifically, the men's basketball program generates special revenue by playing in guarantee road games against high major opponents (Ex. Michigan State, Wisconsin, Creighton, etc.). These figures for only one game can approach or be at six figure amounts, which allows the program to play in tournaments such as the CIT or CBI. Additionally, playing home games can drive revenue for the department, accounting for ticket sales, concessions, parking, etc. The two basketball programs are the engines that drive Green Bay Athletics and its revenue generation, thus the interest in playing, and potentially investing a reasonable amount, in postseason tournaments.