City Financial Assistance to For- Profit Institutions of Higher Education.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 304-97
in effect304-97. City Financial Assistance to For- Profit Institutions of Higher Education.
1. DEFINITION. In this section:
a.
“Direct financial assistance” means the value of below-market land sales, any direct subsidies or city expenditures for private improvements targeted specifically to a project. It includes the value of tax increment financing and below-market-rate loans provided by the city.
b.
“Found in violation” means paid a fine or changed policy or practice at the direction of the U.S. department of education to comply with a federal regulation, regardless of admission of culpability.
2. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE. No city direct financial assistance shall be provided to any for-profit institution of higher education, including any for-profit college, university or institute and any proprietary institution of higher education as defined in 34 CFR s. 600.5 on January 1, 2017, or to any developer of a project that will include selling or leasing real estate to, or constructing a facility for, a for-profit institution of higher education, unless the following criteria are met:
a. For a for-profit institution of higher education seeking city direct financial assistance, the institution shall certify to the department of city development that it, and any other institution owned and operated by the same company as the applicant institution, is in compliance with all applicable U.S. department of education regulations set forth in 34 CFR 600 on January 1, 2017. The institution shall further certify that it, and any other institution owned and operated by the same company, has not, during the previous 3 years, been found in violation of any provision of 34 CFR 668 as the regulation was written on January 1, 2017.
b. For a developer seeking city direct financial assistance for a project that will include selling or leasing real estate to a for-profit institution of higher education, the developer shall certify to the department of city development that the institution, and any other institution owned and operated by the same company as the institution buying or leasing the real estate, is in compliance with all applicable U.S. department of education regulations set forth in 34 CFR 600 on January 1, 2017, and has not, during the previous 3 years, been found in violation of any provision of 34 CFR 668 as the regulation was written on January 1, 2017.
3. DURATION OF LIMITATION. In the case of direct financial assistance in the form of tax incremental financing or a loan, the limitation of sub. 2 shall be in effect until the tax incremental district is closed or the loan is completely repaid.
4. INCLUSION IN AGREEMENTS. The limitation of sub. 2 shall be clearly stated in each loan agreement, development agreement or lease agreement pertaining to city direct financial assistance to a for-profit institution of higher education or to any developer of a project that involves selling or leasing real estate to, or constructing a facility for, a for-profit institution of higher education.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-3/CH304.pdf#page=35Fetched: 10/26/2026