Students from throughout the UW System met at the Capitol Tuesday to lobby legislators on setting a tuition cap and increasing financial aid.
UW-Madison freshman Meghan Wagner, who helped organize the event, said approximately 30 students gathered at the Capitol for about six hours to speak with legislators’ staff members.
Wagner said the students primarily spoke about setting a new tuition cap and increasing financial aid.
Currently, tuition can only increase by 5.5 percent each year. At the end of this biennium, however, the cap will expire.
Wagner said students across the system agreed it is important legislators cap tuition to keep college affordable to students and their families.
“These are things that effect everybody across campuses and they are things everybody agrees upon,” Wagner said. “We all want to work together to change them.”
The students spoke to staff of legislators who represent any district in the UW System as well as staff of members of the Legislative Task Force on UW Restructuring.
Wagner said while the Democratic staff members were receptive to students’ concerns, the Republicans took more persuasion.
“The Democrats definitely supported the higher education issues, but we definitely had to do a little more talking to the Republicans,” Wagner said.
Wagner said overall the day was successful, and the students hope to make Lobby Day a biannual event.
