The University of Wisconsin system submitted its wish list to the federal government last week, giving suggestions regarding funding amidst talk of the reauthorization process of the Higher Education Act.

The Higher Education Act as a whole provides funding for postsecondary-education purposes.

The UW System was asked to submit proposals for Congress’ consideration, and according to UW System President Katharine C. Lyall in a recent letter enclosing the suggestions, the UW System applauds the efforts of lawmakers to seek broad public input on a variety of important student and postsecondary-education issues.

Expanding financial aid for students in need, increasing funding for improvements in teacher quality and bolstering resources for online learning were the general recommendations offered.

In addition to the previous requests, the UW System suggested that the government start using a process similar to that of the university’s accountability report unveiled last week at the Board of Regents meeting.

All of the recommendations were constructed from the efforts of a task force comprised of 20 individuals, including representatives from some of the 26 UW System campuses and UW-Extension.

U.S. Representatives Thomas Petri, R-Fond du Lac, and Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, were also involved in the construction process. Meetings were held with the representatives, who are both members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with the task force, to review ideas.

Financial aid for students is proving to be a main focus of the UW System and was therefore made one of the main requests given to Congress. Increasing funding for the Pell Grant and work-study programs, raising the limit of the federal Stafford loan and streamlining financial-aid applications were specific requests made.

More than 80,000 students enrolled in the UW System currently receive a form of financial aid, with more than 80 percent of this aid coming from federal sources.

However, another main point regarding aid is the proposed adjustment of the funding for TRIO programs, specifically the Student Support Services program. The 13 two-year colleges of the UW System are led by a single chancellor and administered by a centralized financial-aid operation, which in turn, entitles the UW system to only one grant. This grant provides $502,000 dollars between 480 students, which helps only 27 percent of eligible students within the system.

An increase in funding for TRIO programs as well as a change in the Higher Education Act of 1965 to define the terms “different campus” and “different population” could essentially recognize the 13 campuses as independent bodies rather than joined. This recognition could potentially offer more funds to students studying at these institutions.

The UW System is planning on coming together with the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Wisconsin Technical College System and the state Department of Public Instruction to discuss further recommendations regarding all of Wisconsin’s educational partners and forward them on to Congress.

“Maintaining and strengthening access to college for students from all backgrounds, especially those who can least afford it, must remain our nation’s top priority for higher education,” Lyall said in a recent news release.