Policy - Revenue/131 Tuition Status: Requirements and Processes for Proposals

Information about establishing non-pooled (i.e., revenue) 131 programs, including how to complete the 131-Program Model Budget Spreadsheet.


This is a summary of the Revenue/131 Tuition Status: Requirements and Processes for Proposals policy. Click here to view the official policy in its entirety in the UW-Madison Policy Library.


Post-baccalaureate programs (i.e., capstone certificates, as well as graduate-level degrees/majors or named options) that meet certain criteria may be allowed to have paid tuition returned to the program. For programs that meet these criteria and are willing to operate under the associated rules, paid tuition for the program will be made directly available to the program through a Fund 131 account to cover expenses and allow for program reinvestment.

Revenue/131 programs differ from the standard tuition model for programs (i.e., pooled tuition) supported through traditional 101 funding. In the pooled/101 model, all paid tuition is pooled centrally and allocated to the school/colleges and administrative units to support the academic and instructional infrastructure. The rules associated with revenue/131 tuition programs are designed to protect the tuition pool and support program success.

The UW-Madison Requirements and Processes for Academic Programs with Non-Pooled/131 Tuition document outlines the planning considerations and criteria for non-pooled tuition programs, in addition to requirements for regular academic program approvals. The document contains the following sections:

  • Appendix A. Additional Requirements Checklist
  • Appendix B. List of Additional Resources
  • Appendix C. Template for Recommendation for Admission
  • Appendix D. Online Tuition Policy
  • Online/Distance Program Tuition Request Form
  • Appendix E. Market-Based Tuition Policy
  • Market-Based Program Tuition Request Form

Note: It is not possible to convert an existing pooled/101 program into a revenue/131 program. If an existing pooled/101 program desires to run with the revenue/131 tuition structure, the existing program must be suspended/discontinued and a new program with the revenue/131 model must be proposed in its place, following the process detailed on this page.

Revenue/131-Program Model Budget Spreadsheet

If a program would like to request the revenue/131 tuition model, they make the request via the Lumen Programs proposal system. This is the university's system that manages new program proposals and proposals to revise/change existing programs. The 131-Program Model Budget Spreadsheet (updated 9 June 2020) must be completed and attached to the Lumen Program proposal in the provided upload field within the form's Resources, Budget, and Finance section. For a set of videos that provide instructions on how to complete the spreadsheet, go to http://go.wisc.edu/9040tt

Market-Based and Online/Distance Tuition Request Forms

It is important to note that if you are proposing a program with the tuition structure of market-based or online-distance (see Tuition Structures for Degree/Majors and Certificate Programs for more information), you must complete and upload the corresponding Market-Based Tuition Program Request Form or Online/Distance Tuition Program Request Form. Both forms are Word documents that can be completed and uploaded to the provided document upload field within the Lumen Programs form, in the Resources, Budget, and Finance section. 

Proposal and Approval Timeline

Revenue/131 program proposals must be approved by the University Academic Planning Council (UAPC) and/or the UW System Board of Regents in/by February for a Fall term program start or by November for a Summer term program start. For more information on UAPC meetings, including the proposal submission timeline, refer to the UAPC webpage.

Professional Degrees and Certificates Community of Practice

Another potentially useful resource is the Professional Degrees and Certificates Community of Practice website. This site includes resources for program development, implementation, and maintenance. For access to the site, please follow this link to auto-enroll: https://canvas.wisc.edu/enroll/N6XC7K

See Also:




Keywords:pooled, non-pooled, revenue, 131, tuition, budget, spreadsheet   Doc ID:98024
Owner:Karen M.Group:Academic Planning
Created:2020-02-17 16:21 CDTUpdated:2022-02-07 15:24 CDT
Sites:Academic Planning
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