June 6, 2025

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Board of Regents Meeting Update

At the June meeting of the Board of Regents, President Rothman shared his concerns related to the impacts of proposed changes to federal financial aid being discussed in Congress. He was joined by several UW-Milwaukee students who spoke directly to the importance of the Pell Grant as they pursue their degrees. These students are among the nearly 31,600 students across the Universities of Wisconsin that received the Pell Grant in 2023-2024. 

Recognizing the importance of federal financial aid programs to student success, President Rothman unveiled its Fuel Futures website, which serves as a portal for UWs graduates and students to share their stories about how Pell Grants and other federal financial aid helped create educational opportunities.

President Rothman said, “Federal financial aid, especially the Pell Grant, is a lifeline to many of our neediest students…Over the decades, countless Wisconsin students have benefited from these crucial programs, and as these students have benefited, so have Wisconsin communities and employers. Let’s make sure the next generation of students has the same opportunities as the generations before them.” Read the Fuel Futures website announcement.

Stories can be submitted on the Fuel Futures website. Participants will be asked to indicate their university affiliation, graduation year, and current career. All submissions will be subject to review.

President Trump’s FY26 Discretionary Budget Request

On Friday, May 30, the Trump Administration released their full FY26 Discretionary Budget Request, following the earlier release of the “Skinny” Budget Request. If interested, you can view the full budget appendix.

As expected, the budget proposes dramatic changes and reductions to federal financial aid and federal research agencies; however, it is important to remember that the budget does not become law. Instead, Congress will need to advance separate appropriations bills to fund the government. The Universities of Wisconsin continue to remain engaged with Congress and our national associations to push back on these proposed cuts and will continue to share updates with your campus legislative liaisons as appropriate.

White House Proclamation Concerning Entry into the U.S.

On June 4, 2025, the White House issued a new proclamation concerning entry into the United States for the citizens of 19 countries. The proclamation will become effective on June 9, 2025.

  • Countries for which entry to the U.S. for immigrants has been suspended include: Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.
  • Countries for which entry to the U.S. for all nonimmigrants has been suspended include: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
  • Additional countries for which entry to the U.S. for certain nonimmigrants on specific visas has been suspended include: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela.

This proclamation may not apply to immigrant and/or nonimmigrant travelers who meet exceptions as outlined in the proclamation.

We are currently reviewing the announcement in detail to fully understand the changes and how they impact members of our international community.   We encourage members of our international community to likewise review the proclamation and weigh the risks and benefits associated with any upcoming international travel if their home country is listed. We will continue to do our best to communicate with and assist members of our international community as we navigate these changes.

The decision to travel outside the U.S. is a personal decision. Under the current circumstances, and until there is further clarification on how the new proclamation will be implemented, travel should be seriously reconsidered by those whose country of record is named in the proclamation. The proclamation is detailed and contains language that each traveler should assess for themselves or with the assistance of an immigration attorney.

Association Updates

Last week, several national higher education associations sent a letter to Secretary Rubio on recent announcements related to student visa interviews and processing. 

Recent Federal Actions