Board Members Present: Mary Jo Green, Elizabeth Tucker, Debra McKinney, Jerry Curren, Ann Greenheck, Mike Bormett, Alan Stager

HEAB Staff Present: Connie Hutchison, Sherrie Nelson, Mary Lou Kuzdas, Cassie Weisensel, Sandra Thomas, Laurie Fladmark, Colette Brown

Others Present: Paul Nelson, WAICU; Kristofer Frederick, UW System Administration; Caroline Archia-Adams, United Council of UW Students; Shettreese McCoy, United Council of UW Students; Kevin Ott, United Council of UW Students; Nicole Morrow, Marquette University; Tom Heffron, WTCS; Rolf Wegenke, WAICU; Morna Foy, WTCS; Carla Smith-Liebich, Marquette University; Cedric Lawson, United Council of UW Students; Jacky Thomson, Alverno; Rana Altenburg, Marquette University

Chair Mary Jo Green called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW HEAB STAFF MEMBERS:
Laurie Fladmark has been hired half time as a Financial Specialist for HEAB. She has been with HEAB since January, 2006 as an LTE but was hired in March as a permanent employee. Colette Brown has been hired as a Grant Specialist. Her primary responsibility is the Talent Incentive Program Grant.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Moved by Liz Tucker, seconded by Debbie McKinney to approve the minutes with the addition of Mike Bormett’s last name of the February 1, 2008 Board Meeting.

ELECTION OF 2008-2009 BOARD OFFICERS:
Elections were held for the three Board officer positions, Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary.

Mary Jo Green opened the floor for nominations for Chair. Ann Greenheck nominated all three current officers to keep their current positions: Mary Jo Green, Chair; Liz Tucker, Vice Chair; Debra McKinney, Secretary. The officers were elected by unanimous consent of the Board.

REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY:
Connie provided an update of Aid for Incarcerated Citizens. HEAB Board members met with staff from Sand Ridge Center, Wisconsin Resource Center, Department of Corrections and Health and Family Services to develop a strategy to prevent incarcerated citizens from receiving inappropriate aid. Sand Ridge Center has adopted a system that would deposit education related funds into separate inmate accounts. The expenditures from these accounts would be available for educational expenses only. The Wisconsin Resource Center is reviewing this procedure for possible use at that facility. This system is the best way to ensure that all financial aid funds are used appropriately.

Connie provided an update on the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars (FFWS). The FFWS is a private scholarship intended to help reduce the financial barriers to college and to lighten the debt that most Wisconsin students incur during their college years. The founding gift of $175,000,000 from John P. and Tashia F. Morgridge creates a permanent endowment to provide grants for eligible, lower-income, talented graduates of Wisconsin public schools attending a Wisconsin public post-secondary educational institution. HEAB is working closely with FFWS to aid in the selection of and initial contact with the potential recipients. HEAB will continue to collaborate with FFWS in future systems development. The relationship between HEAB and FFWS will be spelled out in a contract between the two parties to ensure student privacy rights are upheld, and to establish that HEAB will be reimbursed by the FFWS for real and documented costs of work done on behalf of the fund. HEAB worked with attorneys from the Department of Justice while negotiating the tenets of this contract. Connie stated that the FFWS is an exciting and beneficial program for Wisconsin students in public colleges and universities.

SETTING OF MEETING DATES FOR 2008-2009
The dates that were chosen are as follows: Monday, November 3, 2008; Friday, February 27, 2009; Friday, April 24, 2009; and Friday, August 7, 2009.

BOARD REPORT #09-01 2006-2007 MN/WI RECIPROCITY PROGRAM DATA
The tuition reciprocity program is not a revenue generating program for either state. In 2006-07 there was an increase of 4,500 in the number of Minnesota students studying in Wisconsin and an increase of 100 Wisconsin students studying in Minnesota. The amount paid to the state of Minnesota was $10,017,151. Additional tuition paid by Minnesota students, collected by UW Systems and remitted to the General Fund, was $9,658,594.

BOARD REPORT #09-02 2008-2009 MINNESOTA-WISCONSIN RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT
The 2009-2009 agreement remains the same except that a provision was added to ensure that, for campuses that do not charge a non-resident rate, students will be charged the reciprocity tuition rate, or the regular resident/non-resident rate, whichever is the lowest.

BOARD REPORT #09-03 POLICY REVISION: RETURN OF FUNDS CLARIFICATION LANGUAGE
This policy has been in place for several years, and while no changes were made to the policy, examples were added to the policy to provide more clarity. Connie acknowledged the financial aid directors on the committee who developed the examples: Debra McKinney, Mary Jo Green, Liz Tucker, Katie Klaus, Ron Ronnenberg, Tim Jacobson, and Susan Teerink.

Moved by Jerry Curren, seconded by Debbie McKinney to accept the policy revision of the Return of Funds Clarification Language.

This motion passed unanimously.

BOARD REPORT #09-04 2009-2011 BIENNIAL BUDGET ISSUES: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM
The UW Board of Regents requested that three issues be addressed by the HEAB Board.

1. The UW Board of Regents requested a modification of the statutory language of the WHEG program to remove the specific dollar maximum for the WHEG-UW award.
   
   Moved by Liz Tucker, seconded by Debbie McKinney, to accept the recommendation as written.
   
   Discussion
   
   The motion passed unanimously.
   
   
2. The UW Board of Regents requested the appropriation for the UW-WHEG program be modified to provide that each student’s WHEG-UW award will increase by at least the same dollar amount as the dollar increase in undergraduate academic student fees, thereby granting a “dollar-for-dollar” hold harmless increase to eligible University of Wisconsin students.
   
   Moved by Alan Stager, seconded by Liz Tucker, to change the statutory language to reflect a hold harmless provision.
   
   Discussion
   
   The motion passed unanimously.
   
   Moved by Alan Stager, seconded by Mike Bormett to accept the proposed funding for and concept of a hold harmless provision to be put into the WHEG-UW request.
   
   The motion passed unanimously.
   
   
3. Veterans Tuition Remission Reimbursement. The UW Board of Regents submitted the following two items for HEAB’s consideration: a) that HEAB include, in its budget, a provision for full state General Program Revenue (GPR) funding of all remissions granted through the Wisconsin GI Bill; and b) that HEAB seek a statutory revision to the Wisconsin GI Bill to require veterans and their families, if the federal government enacts legislation providing veterans' educational benefits that are payable directly to educational institutions for tuition and fees, as opposed to providing lump sum benefits directly to veterans that may be used for all educational expenses including housing and books, to utilize such federal support before accessing tuition and fee remissions under the Wisconsin GI Bill. Such a revision should be sought in cooperation with the appropriate state and federal agencies and should not result in a decrease of benefits to veterans.
   
   The Board agreed to hold this item to later on the agenda so that related requests by the Wisconsin Technical System Board could be addressed at the same time.

BOARD REPORT #09-05 2009-2011 BIENNIAL BUDGET ISSUES: WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
WAICU requested an increase in each grant’s prior year appropriation by an amount equal to the percentage increase in UW tuition or an increase in each grant’s prior year appropriation by an amount equal to the dollar increase in UW tuition multiplied by the number of students who will be receiving the respective grants for the next academic year, as estimated by the HEAB board, which ever is greater. (These changes were embodied in the language of 2007 SB450 (Senator Risser, et al.) and 2007 AB780 (Representative Parisi et al).

Discussion

Moved by Debbie McKinney, seconded by Jerry Curren to accept the recommendation as written.

The motion passed unanimously.

BOARD REPORT #09-06 2009-2011 BIENNIAL BUDGET ISSUES: TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM
The Wisconsin Technical College System Board submitted the following items for HEAB’s consideration.

1. $14.3 million GPR for Wisconsin Higher Education grants, including an additional $5.1 million in FY 2009-10 and an additional $9.2 million in FY 2010-11.
   
   Moved by Ann Greenheck, seconded by Debbie McKinney, that the recommendation be accepted as written.
   
   Discussion.
   
   The motion passed unanimously.
   
   
2. $240,500 in GPR for Minority Undergraduate Retention grants, including an additional $77,600 in FY 2009-10 and an additional $162,900 in FY 2010-11. (This grant is distributed to students at Technical and Tribal Colleges, and at private and independent colleges and universities. The UW students have access to a similar program, the Lawton Grant, administered by UWSA.)
   
   Moved by Debbie McKinney, seconded by Ann Greenheck, to accept the recommendation as written.
   
   The motion passed unanimously.
   
   
3. Veterans Tuition Remission Reimbursement Provide sum sufficient funding for tuition remissions for veterans and their dependents to honor the state’s commitment to Wisconsin veterans, insure that the cost of providing this important benefit is appropriately borne by all Wisconsin citizens, and that veterans and their dependents can readily access high-demand, high-skill technical education that prepares them to meet Wisconsin’s workforce needs.
   
   The Board combined the recommendations of the WTCS Board and the UW Board of Regents in discussing Veterans Tuition Remission Reimbursement.

VETERANS TUITION REMISSION: UW Board of Regents and WTCS Board combined recommendations:

1. The Board considered the UW Board of Regents request that HEAB seek a statutory revision to the Wisconsin GI Bill to require veterans and their families, if the federal government enacts legislation providing veterans' educational benefits that are payable directly to educational institutions for tuition and fees, as opposed to providing lump sum benefits directly to veterans that may be used for all educational expenses including housing and books, to utilize such federal support before accessing tuition and fee remissions under the Wisconsin GI Bill. Such a revision should be sought in cooperation with the appropriate state and federal agencies and should not result in a decrease of benefits to veterans.
   
   Moved by Mike Bormett, seconded by Liz Tucker to accept the recommendation.
   
   Discussion: It was pointed out by one of the members that Wisconsin should take full advantage of the federal benefits available to veterans.
   
   The motion passed unanimously.
   
   
2. Provide full state General Program Revenue (GPR) funding of all remissions granted through the Wisconsin GI Bill and make the appropriation sum sufficient in order to honor the state’s commitment to Wisconsin veterans.
   
   Moved by Ann Greenheck, seconded by Alan Stager to accept the recommendation.
   
   Discussion.
   
   The motion passed unanimously.

Break from 10:35am to 10:45am.

BOARD REPORT #09-07 2009-2011 BIENNIAL BUDGET ISSUES: TRIBAL COLLEGES
Increase WHEG-Tribal from $440,000 to $475,000 in 2009-2010 and to $500,000 in 2010-2011.

Moved by Debbie McKinney, seconded by Liz Tucker to accept the recommendation.

The motion passed unanimously.

BOARD REPORT #09-08 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION PROPOSALS: HIGH NEED TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM AND MINORITY TEACHER LOAN PROGRAM
DPI submitted two items for consideration by the Higher Educational Aids Board:

1. High Need Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program: This program would be created to attract teachers to high poverty schools in the critical shortage areas of science, technology, math, work language, English as a second language (ESL) and bilingual programs, and special education. This program would need an annual appropriation of $500,000 GPR which would fund 100 students per year at $5,000 each.
   
   Moved by Jerry Curren, seconded by Ann Greenheck to support DPI’s proposal, with direction that HEAB work with DPI to draft an effective program proposal. The motion supported the recommended $500,000 annual appropriation beginning in 2010-2011.
   
   Discussion.
   
   The motion passed unanimously.
   
   
2. Minority Teacher Program: Increase the appropriation by $237,900 GPR for a total of $5,000 GPR and allow a max award of $5,000 per year for a total of $10,000.
   
   Moved by Debbie McKinney, seconded by Liz Tucker to accept the recommendation.
   
   The motion passed unanimously.

BOARD REPORT #09-09 MARQUETTE SCHOOL OF DENTRISTRY CAPITATION PROGRAM
Marquette is requesting an increase in the number of Wisconsin residents eligible for the capitation program up to a total of 200 Wisconsin residents or 50 per class and also to increase the subsidy amount from $8,753 annually to $11,670 annually.

Moved by Debbie McKinney, seconded by Jerry Curren to accept the recommendation.

Discussion.

The motion passed unanimously.

Moved by Ann Greenheck, seconded by Liz Tucker to adjourn the meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 11:45am.