Some are discussing aid, not extra fees for Honors students. Totally different to report on merit aid for top students. UW doesn’t need to attract top students with merit aid given for meeting test score or gpa levels.
Tuition and fees. All students, regardless of residency can be subject to the same fees. This means paying the same to support student unions and organizations on campus. I’ve seen the UW-Madison bills in the past- it made sense. there was also a difference in fees paid by part time (less than 12 semester credits)- a proration I believe.
I would not pick my school based on extra charges but would look at it as a part of the overall cost of attending. The same thing applies to different majors- as posted above. Affordability has to be looked at for all years, not just the first one.