The Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) hosted its annual UW–Madison Day in Washington, DC, where participants met with members of Congress to emphasize the importance of preserving federal grants and financial aid.
“Federal funding is the largest single source of revenue for the University of Wisconsin–Madison,” explained Mike Fahey, managing director of state and university relations at WAA.
Last year, UW–Madison rose from eighth to sixth place nationally for research expenditures, with 27 percent of its funding coming from the federal government.
Josh Juarez, a junior at UW–Madison, stressed the importance of research funding. “Any of the research that’s happening in the medical field, in the agriculture field, wherever it may be, there are great things happening behind all the doors at UW,” said Juarez.
The advocacy comes as the Trump administration considers potential cuts to federal funding for universities. UW–Madison is currently involved in several legal challenges against the administration for pausing or cutting previously approved research funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Craig Thompson, vice chancellor of university relations at UW–Madison, noted, “There’s obviously potential cuts to research and other programs, and there’s just a great deal of uncertainty on campus.” The university has formed a 28-member group to examine the potential impact of the administration’s executive orders on the institution.
Students also expressed concern that cuts to financial aid could make attending the university unaffordable for many Wisconsin residents. According to Thompson, two-thirds of UW–Madison students currently graduate with no debt.
More than 80 students, alumni, and friends of the university fanned out across Capitol Hill. They attended 23 congressional meetings to discuss federal funding with Wisconsin lawmakers and their staff members.
More than 100 from the Congressional delegation, staff, and alumni attended a reception that evening.
