The nearly $1 million that Lakeland students receive from the Wisconsin Tuition Grant (WTG) was untouched by the cuts proposed in Governor Scott Walker’s two-year budget released March 1.

Walker’s proposed 2011-2013 budget would cut billions of dollars from hundreds of state programs to close the state’s $3.6 billion deficit but keep funding for the WTG at just under $27 million.

Director of Financial Aid Patty Taylor said 373 Lakeland students share the $942,000 in financial aid Lakeland receives from the grant—an average of $2,525 apiece. She added that the grant could still be cut by the State Senate and Assembly—especially because of the state’s massive deficit over the next two years.

“It’s a win to begin with that there are no cuts for private schools, but until the governor signs it the potential exists that they could make a line-item decision to lower it,” Taylor said.

The Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges (WAICU) launched a joint effort with two-year technical and public schools in Wisconsin to “Protect Financial Aid” after Walker was elected on campaign promises to cut all state programs by ten percent, according to Taylor.

She said, “[The effort aims] to create a voice for students and the colleges that the students can’t afford to lose that cut” in the form of physical and online petitions asking lawmakers to protect financial aid. She said WAICU will use both sets of signatures to lobby lawmakers.

Lakeland College, a member of WAICU, joined the effort last week. Brooke Harrison, a graduate assistant in the financial aid office, and several student workers manned a table in the cafeteria, asking students to sign petitions. Harrison also helped students fill out applications for financial aid. Taylor said Lakeland students signed 270 physical petitions.

Harrison said some students wouldn’t sign because they thought signing the petitions sent a political message about their stance on the governor’s budget, but most signed it.

“They might not take one side or the other, but they’re very concerned with protecting their financial aid money, especially if they’re students who receive that Wisconsin state grant. Even if they weren’t in favor of Scott Walker they would say, ‘I need that financial aid money. I count on it every year,’” Harrison said.

Taylor encouraged students to take a more active role to protect WTG money by attending Student Capitol Day April 7, a WAICU-sponsored event in which students can personally talk with their state representatives and senators. Taylor said Lakeland pays all student fees, including transportation and meals, for the event. Students can sign up in the financial aid office or online at www.waicu.org/go.

“On Student Capitol Day students can ask questions about what’s going on,” Harrison said. “Not every student’s up with the politics and understands exactly what’s happening to their financial aid money, so they can sit down and ask questions in those legislative meetings.”

Taylor said Student Capitol Day is educational and practical for students who receive the WTG.

“The common goal at the end is that in the budget process they don’t cut any dollars, and/or they might even consider increasing the funding,” Taylor said. “That’s always the goal of these exercises. This year, we just happened to be doing a little more because of the poor financial condition the state is in and wanting the legislators to know how important it is that we keep funding the grant programs for the students.”