Modernizing Student Financial Aid
This week I met with student journalists from The Clarion, Madison College’s student newspaper. We discussed a bill I authored, Assembly Bill 381, which modernizes Wisconsin’s student financial aid process to make it more accessible for all students, especially those attending part-time so they can work as they earn their degree.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act passed by the federal government makes significant changes to the federal financial aid process for college students that generally take effect on July 1, 2024. The new federal law necessitates changes to state statutes. It also provides an opportunity to modernize and streamline Wisconsin’s financial aid process.
The major changes include:
- Changing the formula for determining eligibility for financial aid from the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) formula to the new federal Student Aid Index (SAI). According to the Congressional Research Service, “the SAI has fewer formula factors than the EFC, requires fewer questions on the FAFSA, and permits a higher share of FAFSA responses to be imported from a federal income tax return.”
- Increasing the 10 semester limit for Wisconsin Grants to 12 semesters and allowing reductions in eligibility in proportion to the student’s actual enrollment rate to align it with federal Pell Grant standards.
- Removing the half-time enrollment requirement for Wisconsin Grants to ensure any student that meets the need analysis and is making satisfactory academic progress toward a credential can receive a Wisconsin Grant. This opens up eligibility for students who have other responsibilities like working a full-time job or caring for kids or aging parents to attend a school at their pace to earn their credential.
- Ensuring all sectors follow the same approval process through the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) for their financial aid formula, but that each sector retains the flexibility to establish a formula that most efficiently utilizes their appropriation to benefit students.
- Updating the emergency grant program for the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) and UW System, including expanding it to all UW System students to reflect the 2018 restructuring of the UW System two-year campuses into branch campuses.
It is important to pass this legislation now to give HEAB and all the state’s higher education sectors time to implement the changes for the 2024-2025 academic year. This legislation was drafted in consultation with and is supported by the Wisconsin Technical College System, UW System, and the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
National VFW Day
Today is National VFW Day, honoring the men and women devoted to this valuable organization and those members who have served our nation.
Members of the organization hold a long-standing history of volunteerism in their communities. Not only have they served their country, but they continue to serve their fellow veterans, families, and communities by sponsoring scholarships, career fairs, mental wellness campaigns, and so many more excellent services.
Appleton Manufacturing Inspirations Day
Manufacturers from around Wisconsin are invited to participate in the Appleton Manufacturing Inspirations Day, an interactive career fair co-hosted by A-TECH and the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce on October 4th.
Manufacturers are encouraged to bring activities that will engage students and help them better understand what each company does; an active and hands-on way to experience each industry.
Click on the image above to learn more.
Get Your Free 2023-2024 Wisconsin Blue Book!
The new 2023 – 2024 Wisconsin Blue Books are here! You can get your free copy of the book that contains everything you ever wanted to know about Wisconsin by emailing your full name, street address, city, state and zip to me at:
Rep.Murphy@legis.wisconsin.gov
Please be sure to put “Blue Book Request” in the subject line of your email.
Upcoming Events
Appleton Octoberfest
September 30Appleton Manufacturing Inspirations Day
October 4
Romp in the Swamp
Bubolz Nature Preserve, Appleton
October 21
