The panel heard Wednesday from students, faculty, and staff members. And they expressed concerns that ever-rising tuition could lock more Wisconsin students out of a higher education – and the quality of faculty members is going down because the UW does not pay competitive salaries.

Dylan Jambrek of the United Council of UW Students said lower state funding won’t help if it prices Wisconsin students out of a college education – and the state economy won’t get as many educated workers as a result.

“Tuition can’t simply keep raising the price (of an education),” said Dylan Jambrek, vice president of the United Council of UW Students. “I would challenge the state to see whether they want to be in the education business anymore.”

Senator Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls), a task force member, asked students at the hearing what prevents their peers from graduating in four years to keep their loan debt lower.

Classes needed to fulfill core or major requirements also may be canceled because of budget cutbacks, or “bottleneck courses” may fill up due to high demand,  Jambrek said.

UW-Madison will be represented by professor Brad Barham, chair of the University Committee; Heather Daniels, chair of the Academic Staff Executive Committee; Olivia Wick-Bander, Associated Students of Madison and United Council of UW Students member; and Mary Czynszak-Lyne, University Services program assistant. A full list of those testifying is here.

On Library Mall, students gathered to sign a “Wall of Debt” in protest of rising student debt, which has now exceeded credit card debt in the U.S.

“We are paying more, getting less and it’s getting worse,” said Seth Hoffmeister, President of United Council of UW Students. Hoffmeister said the issue seems to be gaining more national attention and is becoming an important campaign topic.

Be sure to get out and vote!  Make a plan to get to your polling location to vote tomorrow. Local elections for school board and county board are happening and half the counties across the state are holding local judicial elections today . Polls are open from 7am-8pm.

Find your Sample Ballot
and polling location

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New! No ID required!

What ID do I need to vote? No ID required, just make sure your registered to vote at your current address.

Check if you are Registered to Vote

These links are from the State of Wisconsin Government Accountability Board website. Other important questions to answer:

Am I registered to vote?

Where is my polling place?

Register to Vote at the Polls!

  AT THE POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY:  If you wish to register to vote at your polling place, you must bring proof that you reside at your present location.    For purposes of voter registration, acceptable forms of proof of residence must include:

1. A current and complete name, including both the given and family name; and
2. A current and complete residential address, including a numbered street address, if any, and the name of a municipality.

NOTE:  Proof of residency is required for voter registration and must be current and valid.  The purpose of the proof of residency document is to establish the voter’s current address, not to prove that the voter complies with the 28 consecutive day residency requirement.  The voter’s sworn statement on the registration form that they meet the 28-day requirement shall be presumed to be true unless the inspector or a challenger has first-hand knowledge sufficient to question the certification.

What counts for proof of residency?

What counts for proof of ID?

If you have any concerns about issues at the polls, call the toll-free Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) to be connected with a lawyer versed in Wisconsin election law.

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Why Vote YES?

Untied Council fights for equal access to UW System for all.

We have professional staff of field organizers, lobbyists, and researchers defending student interests to decision-makers across Wisconsin.

We succeeded in lobbying for full funding for Veterans tuition benefits just last year in the state budget full of cuts to Students and the UW System.

We fight for financial aid increases linked to the price of tuition to keep college affordable.

We stopped the separation of UW-Madison and fight to keep the UW System together.

Check out our HISTORY page showing students fighting for students since 1960.

What is United Council?

The United Council of UW Students is a statewide advocacy and organizing not-for-profit organization that was established in 1960 to advocate for all students of the UW System on issues of higher education pertaining to value quality, and the student experience. United Council has focused on issues such as tuition, financial aid, recruitment and retention of students underrepresented on campus, and student rights.  A cornerstone of the organization’s work includes educating students, other members of campuses, and the greater community on issues relevant to higher education, developing and training student leaders, and organizing students around student issues.  United Council also provides a collective voice for students in state government, the Board of Regents, and other state boards and commissions.

Learn more at ABOUT UC

What does United Council do for you?

• Gives you a united voice: Gives students across Wisconsin a united voice that pushes student issues and interests to decision-makers.

• Advocates for your issues to decision-makers across Wisconsin: United Council lobbies the Wisconsin Legislature and UW System Administrators on issues researched and prioritized by the Board of Directors and students around the state. We build relationships and work with the Board of Regents and Campus Administration  ensure that students’ voices are heard at the statewide level. United Council students and staff also work with the United States Student Association to make sure Wisconsin students’ interests and needs are represented at the federal level.

Meet our Staff

• We are Organizing across Wisconsin: United Council’s legislative strategy relies upon direct organizing with students on campuses throughout the state, to build grassroots paper to lobby with at the Capitol. UC has 5 staff members dedicated to being on campuses across the state 100% of the time, with an additional 7 staff in Madison for support and contact with decision-makers. In accordance with strategies and tactics selected by its Student Board, United Council creates statewide student campaigns that target decision-makers both inside and outside campus districts.

• We provide Direct Services to students organizations: United Council supplies students with materials, field packets, formal publications, and relevant training to effectively campaign on priority issues and student vote.  We also provide research on both statewide and campus-by-campus issues regarding a wide array of issues, particularly regarding the need of underrepresented students. UC responds to a wide range of student requests by regularly visiting campuses to assist students with campaigns and events. We establish on-going communication with student leaders to be at the forefront of attacks on students’ rights such as the student fee and the right to a quality and accessible post secondary education.

• We offer Training & Leadership Development to students: United Council hosts several region-wide conferences for students at low-cost prices, generally free with membership. We also have a training program with over 15 different courses for groups and individuals that our staff can give by request. Throughout the year, we give on-campus grassroots organizing and issue trainings for student governments, student groups, and intern volunteers. We also work on an individual basis with involved students to develop their skills.  In addition, students can participate in internship and development programs.

Find your Regional Field Staff , they are out on campuses in their region 100% of the time.

“Education isn’t just about getting a better job, or getting ahead in life. It’s about being a better person,” Murray said. “As we raise the prices of education, it’s getting more difficult for students to do that.”

[Ian Reese,]… first-generation college student himself, Reese said UW-Marathon County provides him with a rigorous curriculum and high quality education that he would not be able to find elsewhere.

The students will meet with state legislators in 26 different offices to bring attention to student issues, according to Analiese Eicher, government relations director for United Council of UW Students.

“Politics is not like a spectator sport, and we can’t be the people sitting on the sidelines,” Eicher said.

She listed a few issues students will bring to the Legislature’s attention, including rises in tuition, budget cuts and student grants.

All across the country we are witnessing divestment from higher education institutions on both the state and federal levels; support for public colleges and universities is decreasing at an alarming rate. United Council believes we can be national leaders in reversing these devastating trends and return to our roots of a strong commitment to higher education.

During this challenging economic recession United Council has been helping students convey a unified message at rallies and public hearings around the state. It has never been more important to support UW System, Wisconsin’s economic engine, and invest in the future of Wisconsin – UW Students.

Biennial Budget Campaign 2011-2013

Every two years, the state of Wisconsin creates, approves, and spends a multi-billion dollar budget that touches everything from agriculture to education. The higher education of the state is in part funded by the Wisconsin state biennial budget. The University of Wisconsin system receives a portion of it’s funding from the Wisconsin state budget.

State 2011-13 Biennial Budget Priorities

These priorities are a setting the long term goal that we believe shows prioritizing Wisconsin’s economy and valuing Wisconsins world class public education system. The Wisconsin state biennial budget has more impact on the daily lives of students than any other policy or law. The state budget determines how much a college education will ultimately cost Wisconsin families and students, by setting funding rates for the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board.

Throughout the budget making process United Council will be encouraging and aiding student communication on the state budget with state agencies, the Governor’s office, the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, the Wisconsin legislature, and the general public.

United Council is asking the state to fund with General Purpose Revenue (GPR), meaning tax dollars:

• Two-thirds of the cost to educate each UW student, restoring state support that has been declining dramatically in the past decade.
• Full UW System cost to continue programming at status quo levels, protecting the quality of education as it currently stands.
• Increases in need-based financial aid to eliminate all need not currently met by existing loans, grants or family contributions.
• New and existing UW programs that intend to increase the rate of degree attainment, to prevent Wisconsin from dipping lower below the national average of per capita baccalaureate degree holders.
• 50 percent of the cost of all campus-based mental health counseling programs, to provide students, especially returning veterans, the on campus support they need to succeed and protect the state’s investment in them.
• UW System’s Research to Jobs Initiative, to create more jobs through research at all UW campuses.

We Believe that the University of Wisconsin System should be publicly funded and maintain the progress for all of Wisconsin, being Wisconsin’s greatest assest to the economy, jobs, natural resources, and future generations.

Get Involved

The biennial budget is the core of higher education funding here in the state of Wisconsin. United Council’s most popular victories are often won during the biennial budget process, lower tuition, and higher financial aid. We need to win in numbers, and to do so, we need as many students as possible to get involved. In addition to developing quality student trainings and building solid relationships on campuses, and working with has many Students, Administrators and Faculty with Tactics like this:

• Managing the biennial budget campaign on your campuses across WI
• Lobbying the UW Board of Regents and Wisconsin State Legislature
• Running actions and Events on your campus from a press conference, or postcard signing activity to a call in day to your legislators
• Engaging students in a campus wide or statewide rally
• Educating students about issues directly affecting them (teach-in, socials)
• Working directly with the student, traditional, and social media to provide real impact of the information about the budget and the media coverage we need to make this a statewide campaign successful
• Crafting and executing new and creative tactics