The state’s highest bipartisan budget committee approved a plan from the governor to begin phasing out a program aimed at encouraging students from low-income backgrounds to begin planning for college before entering high school.

Members of the Joint Finance Committee voted to support Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to end the Wisconsin Covenant program, despite objections from Democratic representatives.

The program, which enrolls eighth graders from across the state, ensures that students that follow the covenant’s guidelines and maintain a B average in high school will be able to attend a University of Wisconsin System, private or technical college campus in the state.

Mike Mikalsen, spokesperson for Sen. Robin Vos, R-Burlington, said the program will continue to accept college freshmen until Sept. 30 but will end when that class of scholars reaches the end of their eligibility for grant money through the program.

The first group of 5,000 Wisconsin Covenant scholars is set to begin their college careers in the fall.

Mikalsen said debate came down to unnecessary bureaucracy and staffing in the Department of Administration for a program that did not provide an innovative approach different from services already provided by the state.

“If a student did not sign the covenant but followed similar guidelines, they’re going to get admitted to an institution of higher education in Wisconsin anyway,” he said. “The covenant was confusing more parents.”

Existing core state need-based financial aid programs will remain unchanged under the proposal. Mikalsen said Vos, a co-chair of the committee, supported phasing out the program in favor of a more streamlined approach to state aid for students.

With a number of “niche programs” available for student grants in the state, he said pooling all resources for Wisconsin students would allow money for students to increase over time and would make funding more available to middle class students, most of which do not currently qualify for these funds.

Democrats on the committee maintain the program plays an invaluable role in promoting smart preparation for college and an investment in the future of higher education.

Kevin Benish, spokesperson for committee member Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, said the program would serve in bolstering the state’s workforce in years to come.

“We can’t afford to keep playing games with the future workforce of Wisconsin. As a result of the assault to programs benefitting working families, we will see it harder to get a good job in the state,” he said.

He added the initiative fosters good citizenship and an early commitment to getting a college education.

University of Wisconsin System spokesperson David Giroux said while the program is just getting started, staff members have been signing students up for several years during the transition from eighth to ninth grade.

Giroux characterized the program as a systematic method to encourage college preparation, both academically and financially, before it is too late in the student’s high school career.

“They reach out to every eighth grader with the message that college is possible and the information about how to make college a reality,” he said.

While a number of precollege programs have been successful, Giroux said such an initiative had not previously been implemented on such a broad scale.

Conversations about what will take the place of the Wisconsin Covenant in terms of making financial aid available to students will be important in the coming months, he said.