Assembly Bill 579 establishes a new tuition grant program within the University of Wisconsin System, specifically designed to provide last-dollar awards to eligible students. The program aims to bridge the financial gap between the total cost of tuition and segregated fees and any external scholarships or grants received by the student. Eligible participants include new incoming students enrolled in their first bachelor's degree program, with a household federal adjusted gross income of $71,000 or less, and who are attending an on-campus program at a UW System institution other than UW-Madison. The grants are available for up to eight consecutive semesters for incoming freshmen and four consecutive semesters for transfer students, excluding summer terms.

The bill also grants the Board of Regents the authority to create rules for the implementation and administration of the grant program. It specifies that no grants will be awarded to individuals required to register with the selective service if they have not done so, or to students with outstanding support liens unless they have an approved payment agreement. The funding for this program is allocated from a newly created appropriation under section 20.285 (1) (fv) of the statutes, which outlines the financial provisions for the tuition promise grant program.