Wisconsin is one of 11 states to advance in a national grant program competition, UW System President Kevin Reilly announced Friday at the UW System Board of Regents meeting.

Reilly said the Lumina Foundation’s “Making Opportunity Affordable” grant program was an “extraordinary opportunity to expand educational access while keeping a sharp eye on quality.”

According to Reilly, Wisconsin advances to an “intensive planning academy” to develop ideas to address the challenges of lowering cost per degree in the state and improve postsecondary outcomes.

“These objectives are a very natural fit with our Growth Agenda,” he said, adding the state additionally received a $100,000 planning grant to support the development of the objectives.

The state-wide application is a partnership between the UW System, the Department of Public Instruction, and the state’s technical colleges and private colleges.

“It gives us the opportunity to work with a number of other states that are focused on these problems that are raising those same questions and I think we can really learn from each other in this process,” Reilly said.

The application process included a visit to Wisconsin from some representatives of the foundation who met with people from the UW System, the offices of Gov. Jim Doyle, state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, and state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, Reilly said.

If chosen, Wisconsin would be one of five states to receive up to $500,000 annually for up to four years.