Welcome to the Universities of Wisconsin Government Relations Newsletter. The Office of Government Relations provides legislative and political updates that impact the Universities of Wisconsin at the state and federal level.
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Board of Regents
The Board of Regents for the Universities of Wisconsin met virtually last week.
You can view the agenda and meeting materials here. You can read a summary of the meeting here.
Wisconsin Civics Games
On May 1, sixteen teams will compete in the championship round of the 2026 Wisconsin Civics Games. The state finals will be open to the public and are scheduled to be broadcast on WisconsinEye.
If interested in learning more, you can review our press release here.
State Relations
Please check back for updates.
Please check back for updates.
Federal Relations
Department of Education FAFSA Fraud Prevention Effort
On April 27, the “U.S. Department of Education (the Department) launched a new, real-time fraud detection capability for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.”
At the time of release, Secretary McMahon said, “Since day one, the Trump Administration has protected the integrity of federal student aid programs, ensuring that these critical resources help the students they are intended to serve. Under President Trump’s leadership, we’ve not only reversed the previous Administration’s years of mismanagement of the federal student aid portfolio, but have rooted out fraud, waste, and abuse—keeping $1 billion out of fraudsters’ hands and putting it back in the pockets of real students and families. This new fraud detection tool will stop fraud at the start of the process, before money goes out the door, strengthening the integrity of our programs and expanding opportunity for students who depend on these resources to finance their postsecondary education.”
In addition to the link above, if interested in reading more, you can also review the Federal Student Aid’s Electronic Announcement here.
Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing
On April 28, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies of the Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the FY27 Budget Request for the Department of Education. Secretary McMahon is scheduled to testify.
If interested, you can watch live beginning at 9:00 AM Central Time on the Committee website.
House Committee on Education and Workforce Hearing
On April 29, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will hold a hearing titled, “Speech or Silence? The Future of the First Amendment in Higher Education.”
Announced witnesses include:
- Tyson Langhofer, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom
- Jud Horras, President and CEO, North American Interfraternity Conference
- Emerson Sykes, Senior Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union
- Steven McGuire, Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom, American Council of Trustees and Alumni, Philadelphia
If interested, you can watch live beginning at 9:15 AM Central on the Committee website.
Full House and Senate Hearing Schedule
If interested, you can see a full list of upcoming hearings on the Senate Hearings & Meetings Page. A review of the committee hearings in the House of Representatives is available via the Committee Schedule within the House of Representatives Legislative Activity section on the Chamber’s main page.
House and Senate Floor Schedules
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are scheduled to be in DC and voting this week. The anticipated schedule for the House of Representatives and the Senate can be found on the preceding websites.
Note: Links to external sites are provided for informational purposes and not meant to convey an endorsement of the Universities of Wisconsin.