Increase Student Aid Funding to Keep Talent in our State, Grow our Workforce

Wisconsin has fallen significantly behind its neighbors in state support to low-income college students.
Wisconsin’s economy will continue to need college-educated employees. By 2031, projections indicate that 72 percent of all jobs will be held by those with at least some postsecondary education.
Like most states in the Midwest, however, Wisconsin is experiencing workforce shortages in nearly every occupation. Wisconsin is now and will continue to be lacking approximately 12,500 college-educated workers each year to fill job openings that require postsecondary degrees. As the number of students going to college remains stagnant, without any immediate action, this gap is expected to significantly expand.
Despite these shortages, we have seen a strong downward trend in the number of students attending college, especially among low-income students. Investment in student aid, especially for low- and low-middle income students, is an investment in the state’s workforce. Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s investment in student aid has not kept pace with student needs and we are lagging considerably behind our Midwestern counterparts in the amount of aid provided to students. Given the state’s critical workforce shortages, it is more important than ever to invest in students seeking to earn a degree and contribute to Wisconsin’s workforce.
Wisconsin’s private colleges and universities confer degrees in high-demand occupations in our state. In the area of health care, WAICU members graduate 100 percent of all dentistry degrees, 61 percent of all medical doctors, 55 percent of all physician assistants, and 54 percent of all bachelor’s degrees in nursing. In addition, our private, nonprofit colleges graduate 36 percent of advanced education degrees and 31 percent of accounting degrees.
Wisconsin’s Private Colleges graduate 23 percent of all bachelor’s degrees and 33 percent of advanced degrees statewide, all without direct operating support from taxpayers. The state appropriation for the Wisconsin Grant Program to students at Wisconsin’s Private Colleges accounts for only 1.47 percent of the total state investment in higher education. Wisconsin Grants are the primary need-based financial aid program for Wisconsin students attending private, nonprofit colleges or universities in the state. Investments in Wisconsin Grants provides a significant return on investment for the State of Wisconsin and enhances Wisconsin’s economic vitality.
To make our state competitive and produce more workers with college educations to fill important jobs in Wisconsin, we’re asking state legislators to double our current Wisconsin Grant Program appropriation of $57 million in the 2025–2027 biennium budget for a total two-year funding of $114 million. This appropriation would support our low- and middle-income Wisconsin Private Colleges students, and will bring Wisconsin closer in line with need-based grants in neighboring states.
In 2024–2025, the maximum Wisconsin Grant was $4,400 for eligible Wisconsin students attending private, nonprofit colleges and universities. When comparing state aid for private, nonprofit campuses in the Midwest our state appropriation is the lowest. Indiana’s private grant program was the largest at $12,400 per student.
To gain support for this effort, we have been working with WAICU-member colleges and universities to register advocates for the 2025 Campaign to support student financial aid. If you haven’t yet, please sign up to join our advocacy efforts.
Once you sign up, you will receive information about how you can support this increase in funding to support student financial aid and student opportunity.