May 23, 2025

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Higher Education Leaders Share Concerns on Federal Financial Aid

The leaders of the Universities of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and the Wisconsin Technical College System sent a letter to Wisconsin’s Congressional Delegation highlighting concerns with the Student Success and Taxpayer Saving Plan as passed by the House Education and Workforce Committee. If interested, you can read the letter from Jay Rothman, President, Universities of Wisconsin, Eric Fulcomer, President, Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and Layla Merrifield President, Wisconsin Technical College System.

On May 22, these leaders gathered together for a press conference where they discussed their concerns with the legislation and its impact on students- some of whom attended the event. For more, you can read a statement from each leader, which was shared following the press conference.

In the background of this and as Congress continues to work to advance the broader reconciliation package, several national associations representing higher education wrote letters to Congress expressing similar concerns. Importantly, the Universities of Wisconsin continue to engage with Members of Congress – including the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation – and through our national associations on issues of importance and concern to our universities. Further updates continue to be shared with designated university legislative liaisons, who are engaged in similar efforts both state and federally as appropriate.

Reconciliation Update

On May 22, 2025, via a vote of 215-214-1, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The legislation now moves to the Senate where further consideration and adjustments are expected following the Memorial Day Recess.

Litigation Update

On Mary 22, 2025, a preliminary injunction was granted in the State of New York v. Linda McMahon, a multi-state case challenging the dismantling of the Department of Education. At the time of the injunction, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said, “Today’s order preliminarily blocks the Trump administration’s sweeping and lawless attempt to gut the Department of Education. While this case is far from over, this ruling is a clear victory for students in Wisconsin.” For more from the Attorney General, you can read his press release.

Recent Federal Actions

University and College Leaders Share Concern on Financial Aid

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The leaders of the Universities of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and Wisconsin Technical College System sent a letter to Wisconsin’s congressional delegation highlighting concerns with the Student Success and Taxpayer Saving Plan as passed by the House Education and Workforce Committee.

Read the letter from Jay Rothman, President, Universities of Wisconsin, Eric Fulcomer, President, Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and Layla Merrifield President, Wisconsin Technical College System.

May 16, 2025

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Congressional Updates

This week, throughout various committees in the House of Representatives, the chamber continued to advance reconciliation proposals as directed by H.Con.Res.14, the FY25 Concurrent Budget Resolution. The House Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Agriculture Committee websites contain additional information on these pieces, and in the coming days, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on the full package before it will be sent to the Senate for further consideration, alteration, and additional votes. Importantly, the Universities of Wisconsin continue to engage with Members of Congress – including the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation – and through our national associations on issues of importance and concern to our universities across these proposals. Further updates continue to be shared with designated university legislative liaisons, who are engaged in similar efforts both state and federally as appropriate.

In the background of these developments, next week several House and Senate committees will hold hearings related to higher education.

  • Senate HELP Committee Hearing

On May 21, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing titled, “The State of Higher Education.” For more details, including a link to watch live, you can review the Committee’s press release.

  •  Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development

On May 21, beginning at 9:15 a.m. Central Time, the Committee on Education and Workforce’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will hold a hearing titled, “Restoring Excellence: The Case Against DEI.” For more details, including a link to watch live, you can review the Committee’s hearing page.

  •  House Appropriations Committee Hearing

On May 21, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Central time, the House Appropriations Committee will hold a budget hearing on the Department of Education. For more details, including a link to watch Secretary McMahon testify live, you can review the Committee’s hearing page.

Political Activity Guidance Reminder

As a reminder, as uncertainty continues around the emerging federal landscape, Universities of Wisconsin employees should be mindful of political activity and public advocacy guidelines.

Activities such as sharing a petition or contacting a legislator for political purposes using your university email address or state resources to engage in political campaign activities at any time or engaging in political activities during work time are prohibited.

In your capacity as private citizens, on non-work time, and without use of university resources (including the use of university email addresses) employees may circulate or sign a petition or letter of support advocating for public policy or a political candidate. However, if using your name and official title, it should be made clear that an individual’s endorsement indicates neither support nor endorsement by the university of a particular policy position or candidate, and that you are acting solely in your role as a private citizen.

For more information, you can read the Guidance on Political Activities Frequently Asked Questions document. Importantly, these FAQs should be treated as general guidelines and not legal advice.

Please direct specific questions regarding political campaign issues to the Office of General Counsel or your university’s Office of Legal Affairs.

Recent Federal Actions

UWs Litigation Update

The UWs Office of General Counsel, the Office of Legal Affairs at UW-Madison, and the Office of Legal Affairs at UW-Milwaukee have worked with state partners to pursue legal challenges to some of these terminations and the dismantling of certain federal agencies. Read more and review the lawsuits and submitted declarations on the Universities of Wisconsin Litigation Update.

May 9, 2025

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Recent Federal Actions

Litigation Update

The Universities of Wisconsin have continued to review federal legislative actions, regulatory changes, and Presidential executive orders which may impact our universities, our collective missions, and the Wisconsin Idea. Since January 2025, several directives from the Trump Administration to federal agencies have resulted in the wrongful termination of approved, federally-funded projects. Together, the Office of General Counsel, the Office of Legal Affairs at UW-Madison, and the Office of Legal Affairs at UW-Milwaukee have worked with state partners to pursue legal challenges to some of these terminations and the dismantling of certain federal agencies. To read more and review the lawsuits and submitted declarations, read the Universities of Wisconsin Litigation Update.

Student Loan Borrower Support Reminder to Universities

The U.S. Department of Education issued a ‘Dear Colleague Letter’ to universities reminding them of their shared responsibility under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to support student loan borrowers. Read the Department of Education news release announcing the guidance.

 

May 2, 2025

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Recent Federal Actions

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Markup

 Earlier this Spring, the House and Senate adopted a concurrent budget resolution, which set forth a path for the chambers to work on a budget reconciliation bill. That process began in earnest this week with various House Committees meeting to markup their contributions to the overall bill. Additional markups are expected as soon as next week.

Of particular interest, the House Committee on Education and Workforce met to mark up their legislation, the Student Success and Savings Plan, on April 29, 2025. Among several provisions, the legislation makes several changes to student loans, Pell Grant eligibility, and includes a risk sharing proposal that was previously included as part of the College Cost Reduction Act in the last session of Congress.

Should you wish to review the legislation, the section-by-section authored by the Committee Majority and a Committee Minority fact sheet may be helpful; the bill text the committee voted on can be found here.

The legislative process will continue to play out over the coming weeks with other committees advancing their legislation before they are combined prior to consideration on the House floor. We remain actively engaged with Congressional stakeholders and our national associations to share concerns and opportunities for improvement.

New! FAQs for International Students, Faculty, and Staff

We’ve added new FAQs addressing visa revocation, immigration staff actions, study abroad, student degree and enrollment, and travel. See those updated FAQs on our International Student, Faculty & Staff Resources page.

 

 

April 25, 2025

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Recent Federal Actions

Executive Orders

This week, President Trump signed a series of executive orders related to education. These orders include an examination of accreditation and Section 117 reporting requirements. The Universities of Wisconsin continue to review these orders, and as there are details to share on these – or any other orders – information will be disseminated via the university’s federal updates workgroup representative.

Advocacy Updates

The Universities of Wisconsin continue to engage with Members of Congress – including the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation – and through our national associations on additional issues of importance and concern to our universities. In advance of Congress considering budget reconciliation legislation in the coming weeks, these efforts have included discussions regarding the criticality of federal financial aid and fully funding research agencies, among other topics. Further updates continue to be shared with designated university legislative liaisons, who are engaged in similar efforts both state and federally as appropriate.

Follow Legal Challenges on Litigation Tracker

You can track legal challenges to the administration’s executive orders and administrative actions on the Just Security litigation tracker.

April 18, 2025

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Recent Federal Actions

New! FAQs for International Students on Visas, LRPs, and SEVISs

We’ve added new FAQs addressing visa revocation/LPR status rescission, SEVIS record termination, and federal agent request for access to location, information, or records on our International Student, Faculty & Staff Resources page.

Department of Energy Indirect Costs

As noted above, late last week, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced plans to “limit financial support of “indirect costs” of DOE research funding to 15%.”

Importantly, however, on April 16, Judge Burroughs of the District Court for Massachusetts granted a Temporary Restraining Order in the litigation that had been filed in opposition to the previously announced DOE plan.

Op Ed on Student Visas

UW-Madison Chancellor Mnookin released an Op-Ed in the Wisconsin State Journal on April 17, which you can read at the following link: Revoking Student Visas at UW-Madison is Arbitrary, Unjust

 

 

April 11, 2025

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Recent Federal Actions

President Rothman letter to WI Delegation on Student Financial Aid

UW President Jay Rothman sent a letter to Wisconsin’s congressional delegation dated April 9, 2025, expressing the UWs concern over any potential impact on student financial aid as a result of the budget and reconciliation process.

New! FAQs for International Students/Faculty/Staff on Travel

We’ve added new FAQs addressing travel outside the U.S. on our International Student, Faculty & Staff Resources page. We will continue to add information to this page regarding travel, visas, and rights for our international audience.

Information Regarding Agents Visiting Campuses

Please refer to our information regarding agents visiting universities on what to do if government agents come to your university.

Additional Advocacy Updates

In addition to the letter above, and as noted in past newsletter additions, the Universities of Wisconsin continue to engage with Members of Congress – including the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation – and through our national associations on additional issues of importance and concern to our universities. For example, the following letter to the Departments of State and Homeland Security from the higher education community may also be of interest. Further updates continue to be shared with designated university legislative liaisons, who are engaged in similar efforts both state and federally as appropriate.

Information Regarding Agents Visiting Universities

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GUIDANCE FOR INTERACTING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER AGENTS*
Updated: 2/17/2026

The Universities of Wisconsin will comply with all applicable laws and are committed to cooperating with law enforcement within the constraints of the law and our own delegated responsibilities.

The Universities of Wisconsin are committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment that facilitates university operations and our universities’ respective missions, including students’ ability to access education without disruption.

The Universities of Wisconsin strive to create environments that protect privacy and rights of students, faculty, and staff under the law.

The Universities of Wisconsin provides information on the immigration status of its students, faculty, or staff only when required by law.

The Universities of Wisconsin continue to closely monitor federal immigration policies and enforcement that may affect our students, faculty, and staff.

Frequently asked questions

Public Safety



Campus police departments have procedures and practices they follow related to immigration enforcement, and campus police officers will not detain or arrest an individual solely based on a suspected violation of immigration law and will not routinely inquire about an individual’s immigration status.  


No. Campus police departments do not participate in federal immigration enforcement actions. Federal agents must use appropriate legal processes if they are on campus and wish to contact individual students about enforcement-related issues.  


No. An individual’s immigration status does not determine whether campus police departments will provide campus and community safety-related services and will only be relevant if the individual is involved in serious crimes. An individual’s immigration status does not affect their ability to file a police report with campus police departments.   


Universities do not normally issue alerts based simply on the presence of federal, state or local law enforcement on a campus. Universities’ emergency notification systems are defined by federal law and regulations.
These emergency notification systems are designed to provide information about an immediate, actively occurring, and confirmed emergency situation on a campus (or an actively occurring threat that’s heading towards the campus) that requires the community to take immediate action in order to stay safe.
Using such emergency notification systems other than as required by law and in compliance with university policies can subject the universities to federal investigation and significant penalties.
If an incident becomes an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees on a campus, a campus emergency notification would be issued.


A sighting of, or an arrest by, federal law enforcement on campus does not necessitate a call to 911 or a campus police department non-emergency line. The only exception is if one of the below criteria apply: 

  • Your physical safety, or that of someone else, is in immediate jeopardy 
  • There is civil disorder or a likelihood of violence 
  • Destruction of property is occurring 


Federal agents access to campus spaces



Generally, no. Federal agents are generally able to access public spaces. However, access to non-public spaces require a judicial warrant. See below for further information on public and non-public spaces.


  • If federal agents disregard your instructions or requests, do not interfere with their actions.  
  • If federal agents act—with or without awaiting guidance from you or others at the campus and regardless of whether they have presented a judicial warrant—it is important that you do not intervene or block their movement, as obstructing or otherwise interfering with law enforcement activity can be a crime.



If the federal agent approaches a student worker first, the student should immediately get their supervisor. If their supervisor is not available, the student worker should contact a divisional HR representative


Campus police will ask the caller to describe the encounter in detail and review the contents of the judicial warrant or any other legal document that is presented to the employee. Campus police also have 24/7 access to attorneys from the Office of General Counsel (OGC) and will likely involve an OGC attorney in any such review. 

Public versus non-public areas



Federal agents are free to enter any public areas of your workplace but generally must have a valid judicial warrant to enter a non-public area. 



As a public institution, many areas within the campus and its facilities are open to the public. Generally, federal agents are authorized by law to enter public spaces without special permission. Public areas may include sidewalks; green spaces; parking lots and ramps; and lobby, waiting, or hallway areas that are open to the public. Campus libraries and museums that are open to the general public are also generally considered public areas. Campus events, such as lectures, forums and performances that are free and open to the public, or meetings subject to the Wisconsin Open Meetings law are also generally deemed to be public areas. 


Some campus areas, such as faculty, staff and student offices, residence halls, laboratories, and areas accessible only by a key or key card, are not open to the public without permission.  

Classrooms are also non-public areas unless the classroom is hosting an event open to the public. Other non-public areas would include areas only available to employees or individuals with an employee escort, areas holding events that require a ticket for admittance, areas only available to university patients or research participants, privately or university-owned vehicles, and other areas as long as there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in that space. 



Generally, federal agents may not enter non-public areas without permission from individuals authorized to provide permission on behalf of the university unless the federal agent presents a valid judicial warrant or exigent circumstances are present. 


A valid judicial warrant must be signed and dated by a judge. It will include a period within which the search must be conducted, a description of the premises to be searched, and a list of items to be searched for and seized (e.g., payroll records, employee identification documents, etc.). 


Most often, federal agents who might come to campus would be acting on civil, not criminal, authority, and generally carry administrative warrants. Administrative warrants are not signed by a judge and do not authorize federal agents to enter non-public areas or to obtain documents or electronic data without consent.

Only authorized university officials such as Facilities Planning & Management and/or building managers may affix limited access signage inside campus buildings.  

Temporary signs made locally are not allowed . 

Signs generally cannot be placed on exterior doors of campus facilities.  



The Universities of Wisconsin provide information on the immigration status of its students, faculty, or staff only when required by law. 


If asked by a federal agent to provide private information about a student, faculty or staff member, the employee may say “I am not authorized to provide the requested information,” and contact campus police. 


Resources

Guidelines for Political Activity and Public Advocacy on Campus: 
https://www.wisconsin.edu/government-relations/guidance-on-political-campaign-activities-at-university-of-wisconsin-system-institutions/ 

Policy on Institutional Statements: 
https://www.wisconsin.edu/uw-policies/uw-system-administrative-policies/institutional-statements/ 

 

* UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee staff should consult their local guidance for specific contact information.