UW-Madison will not be joining a national organization of student governments after the Associated Students of Madison decided in a 13-7 vote Wednesday to not include membership on the spring election ballots.
Membership in the United States Student Association, according to its website, would have allowed ASM to advocate for student issues such as “Pell, TRIO, lower student loan rates and voter access on a federal level,” ASM Chair Allie Gardner said.
Despite passing the legislation that would have included the membership on the ballot last week, representatives voted to not include it on the spring ballot in a vote that ASM Chair Allie Gardner said “came down to
The cost for the ASM to be a member of the USSA would have required an additional $10,000, or slightly less $0.25 per student.
But several representatives said students might not be open to paying the additional fee required for ASM to be join the USSA.
But Gardner said without the membership, ASM does not have an effective way to allow students to lobby on a national scale.
