More UW students appeal their financial aid figures for next fall

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University of Wisconsin students will not get as much financial aid as they’ve been promised for next fall – and yet, students are trying to get more aid by claiming hardships.

Nobody keeps track of how many students have filed appeals to the financial aid amounts they were promised for next fall.

But at UW-Madison, the number of applications getting a second look is up 15 percent from a year ago.

Next fall’s financial aid is based on a student’s family earnings from last year.

But more students say those earning figures are too high.

In many cases, their moms and dads have had their hours or salaries cut, if they haven’t lost their jobs altogether.

Associate financial aid director Michelle Curtis says revisions can be made, but only for hardships like home foreclosures or rising medical costs.

Appeals based on lifestyle choices are not considered.

But whatever happens with the appeals, students will still get less than they were first promised.

That’s because the governor’s financial aid budget was cut by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.

As a result, students will get about $300 less this fall than what their UW schools first promised.

Tags: financial aid, news, wisconsin, student