Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Abby Harvey (Right to left) Freshman Sarah Laplante and Blake Sykora fills out a postcard to support the WHEG bill while United Council Finance and Development Director Rebecca Johansson explains what the bill will mean to students on financial aid.

Across UW campuses, blue postcards were handed out urging students to support the Wisconsin Higher Education Grant Indexing Bill. Friday, UW-Eau Claire's United Council hosted a postcarding event in Davies to inform students of the WHEG Indexing Bill and its affects on students.

Since 1960, it has been the United Council's job to lobby across the state to make education more affordable and accessible for students, according to Eau Claire United Council's delegation leader, sophomore Amber Bretl.

"The WHEG grant is given to students who need financial aid," said Bretl. "When tuition is increasing, the financial aid isn't as equivalent."

The WHEG Indexing Bill benefits all the students who receive the WHEG grant, but ultimately all students benefit because it works against raising tuition.

Many students were unaware that a bill like this was in consideration. Sophomore Jake Skalitzky was among those students.

"I've heard absolutely nothing," Skalitzky said. "I think it's a great idea because it's keeping college affordable on a whole."

The postcarding process will wrap up when the cards end up in the hands of Assembly Speaker Michael Huebsch. Bretl said that after all of the member campuses have the postcards completed, they are hand delivered to Madison where they'll be left on Huebsch's desk. Ultimately, the council wants to make the legislators address their concerns and make a statement, Bretl said.

"Hopefully we can change Speaker Huebsch's mind about this bill," Bretl said. "And get support from other legislators, as well."

John Murray, a spokesman for Huebsch, said if the speaker was presented with a bill like this, he would have to take a look at the physical complications of it.

"I think the speaker would be willing to take a look at the bill … they are usually dealt with separately in the budget," Murray said.

Continued...

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