



MADISON — New in-state University of Wisconsin-Madison students will get free tuition if they come from families making $56,000 or less.



Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced the initiative, dubbed "Bucky's Tuition Promise," at a UW System regents meeting Thursday. She said in a news release that a perception that the school is too expensive keeps some Wisconsin high school students from applying and UW officials want to end that belief.



The guarantee begins in the fall of 2018. UW officials say the pledge is expected to cover more than 800 students in each incoming class and cost about $825,000 per year beyond what the school already offers in aid. The university expects to fund it using private gifts rather than tax dollars.



In-state tuition and fees now are $10,533 a year.





MADISON, WI - OCTOBER 12: An outside view of Bascom Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin on October 12, 2013 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)