Spring Break
Hixson speaks to students on financial aid problems
Nicole Trotta
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: News
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As required by law, the state budget was due on July 1. More than two months have passed and the state senate and assembly are still deadlocked.
"Everywhere I go, people ask me, 'When is the budget going to be done?'" Hixson said.
The budget impasse has brought the Madison government to a standstill, sending repercussions through all sectors of the state. Students have been hit hardest in their pocketbooks.
"The budget affects real people, real lives, and real hopes and dreams," Hixson said.
According to Hixson, who serves on the state committee for education, university students usually receive an average of $2,250 in grants every semester. There are 178 Whitewater students waiting for more than $400,000 that was supposed to be available for the Fall 2007 semester.
"They've been waiting long enough," Hixson said.
Hixson blames the impasse on the inability of Democrats and Republicans to reach a compromise. Although state statues state that the budget must be done on time, there are no penalties if it is not.
"Perhaps to some of these people the budget is no more than numbers on a page," Hixson said.
The budget crisis has caused the UW system board of regents to estimate how much to increase tuition for students because they don't have a budget to rely on. For the 2007-08 school year, the regents set a 5.5 percent increase on tuition. This means that students could be overpaying tuition for this year, Hixson said.
UW-Whitewater students Jennifer Hunt and Kristen Tranel briefly spoke about how their lives have been impacted by the unfinished budget.
Hunt, a sophomore political science major, said that college would be unattainable for her without financial aid because she comes from a poor family.
"I'm an honor student, I work, I actually tutor - I try to do everything right," Hunt said. "I'm sure that the higher politicians in the state probably don't have to consider, 'What are the costs of college?' They can afford for their students to come here. I want politicians from the state to come back here and look us in the eye and … tell us why we do not deserve it."
Tranel, a sophomore pre-business major, said that because she doesn't have her financial aid, she can't afford insurance this year. Tranel is paying for both her and her husband's tuition with a loan she took out from the bank.
Senior Nicholas Santilli, Whitewater Student Government president, was in the audience. Santilli asked Hixson what students can do to help move the budget process along.
"Contact your legislature; tell them that you're tired of it," Hixson said.
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