Thousands of University of Wisconsin students waiting for financial aid received notice yesterday that the funds have been included in the new state budget, and they will soon receive the money. Many students at UW System universities — including UW-Madison — were unsure of financial support they hoped to receive for this academic year, but the budget passed by the state Legislature Tuesday now includes $50 million in financial aid funding. “We expected this would happen — I think it’s fantastic that [Higher Educational Aids Board] was able to move so quickly,” said UW System spokesperson David Giroux. “As we’ve said, the budget is welcomed news for our campuses and our students, and this just proves it.” Giroux said it was unfair that students had to be unsure about receiving financial aid over the last few months, and is grateful students can now focus on their studies. “This is really important information for thousands of students who now know that they can move on with their education and they can now focus more on their midterms and less on their tuition bill,” Giroux said. Giroux added the average recipients of Wisconsin Higher Education Grants come from families earning less than $27,000 per year and that this year, the average grant will be approximately $2,100, an amount he called significant. “At our comprehensive campuses, annual tuition is just over $4,000, so you’re talking about something that pays for roughly half their tuition,” Giroux said. Giroux said he was pleased with the bipartisan support financial aid funding received in the Legislature. Giroux added all educationally driven students deserve a college education, regardless of their financial background. “If … your intellectual talent outweighs your pocketbook, that should not be a barrier to a college degree at a public university,” Giroux said. Connie Hutchison, Executive Secretary for the Wisconsin Higher Education Board sent a message out to UW System campuses and students eligible for the state financial aid Wednesday, saying the WHEAB will start accepting financial aid vouchers Friday. “The Wisconsin State Legislature has forwarded a budget to Gov. Doyle which includes an appropriation of $50 million for UW WHEG,” Hutchison said in the message. Hutchison also said she appreciated “the interest and concern” of all UW campuses through the process of receiving the funding.