Close to 8,000 UW System students who received financial aid package projections in March will be given an average of $310 less than expected in grants for the 2009-'10 school year.
The state Legislature's Joint Finance Committee made cuts Wednesday to a proposal in Gov. Jim Doyle's budget to spend more on Wisconsin Higher Education Grants, an increase in financial aid meant to protect students with family incomes of $60,000 or less from tuition increases.
Connie Hutchison, executive secretary for the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board, told the Associated Press student grants on average will be reduced to $2,300 from $2,600.
""To those who are paying attention to their financial aid numbers and they are comparing to the memo they got in March to the one they get later in the summer, they will see a difference and not a good one,"" UW System spokesperson David Giroux said.
However, Giroux made it clear that the cuts were made to proposed, not concrete, financial aid amounts.
He was not surprised by the JFC's decision.
""Given the condition of the state's finances, we shouldn't be surprised by almost anything right now,"" he said.
According to Giroux, additional Pell Grant funds will offset tuition increases for many of the same people who would have received Wisconsin Higher Education Grants.
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said the JFC's cuts are only a recommendation and are ""just one part of the process."" He said he is hopeful the state Legislature will end up passing Doyle's original proposal.
""We need to provide the maximum amount of financial aid possible so that higher education remains affordable to all regardless of their financial circumstance,"" he said.
Giroux also said the budget is a long way from being done and is still subject to change.
""On the one hand, we recognize the state is in a very difficult financial position right now, and on that level it's very understandable. On the other hand, financial aid has never been more important for our students, and so we're still hopeful there might be some new investment in the WHEG program,"" Giroux said.
