SB 95

This bill prohibits higher education institutions (University of Wisconsin

System institutions, Wisconsin technical colleges, and private, nonprofit institutions

that are members of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and

Universities) from reducing gift aid that the higher education institution has offered

to a student because the student has received a private or external “last-dollar

scholarship” from a Wisconsin-based entity unless certain circumstances apply.

“Gift aid” is defined in the bill as all financial aid that is not a loan or work-study

program and includes grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, and third-party

payments. “Last-dollar scholarship” is defined as gift aid awarded to a student to

meet any of the student's financial need not met by federal, state, or institutional gift

aid.

Under this bill, a higher education institution may reduce the amount of a

student's offered gift aid in order to comply with the individual or team financial aid

restrictions of a governing national intercollegiate athletic association. Additionally,

under the bill a higher education institution may reduce the amount of offered gift

aid if the student's total gift aid from all sources exceeds the student's financial need,

and the higher education institution may further reduce a student's offered gift aid

if the higher education institution receives approval to do so from the organization

that has awarded the private or external scholarship that triggered the student's

total gift aid exceeding the student's financial need.