Students prepare for lobbying at Huskies on the Hill
ASWUT announces the list of priorities they will be lobbying for at this year’s Huskies on the Hill event in Olympia.
By: Michaela Ely
Feb. 3 of this year will be the start of the annual UW tri-campus student event known as Huskies on the Hill in Olympia. The event invites students of the tri-campus to come together to lobby at the state legislature to pass bills that benefit the UW student population.
Over the past few weeks, ASUWT has sent emails promoting Huskies on the Hill, asking students to make their voices heard when it comes to their financial aid, namely the Washington College Grant.

In a Huskies on the Hill mandatory training meeting on Jan. 27 it was mentioned that the Washington College Grant has always been at the top of the priority list as it impacts the largest number of students. ASUWT is lobbying to expand the eligibility of the grant from 65 percent to 70 percent.
“[The Washington College Grant] is our number one priority usually because it impacts the most students and it’s one of the biggest bills that we have,” ASUWT Legislative Liaison Ashley Ramirez said.
The state government is facing a $12 billion to $16 billion shortfall in the budget over the next four years. According to The Seattle Times, Governor Bob Ferguson has released his budget priorities with potential cuts to most state agencies, including his former agency, the Attorney General’s Office. He has also stated that K-12 education funding and public safety funding will not be on the chopping block. However, it is possible that some programs for higher education may be considered when determining the budget.
“The Washington College Grant is already in the budget at 65 percent, this year we’re asking for [an expansion] to 70 percent median family income and our sponsor is confident that we can get that,” Ramirez said.
In the emails that ASUWT has sent to students, they have also included several bills either from the state Senate or House of Representatives that they will be advocating for at Huskies on the Hill. This includes SB 5115 that would provide grants to eligible students that participate in volunteer or community service and SB 5275 that would modify current funding for the Passports to Careers Program. This would expand program eligibility and more.

ASUWT has also been working on an act that would help to promote and support the needs of UWT students, namely in food and housing. A food justice survey done in 2024 revealed that 44 percent of UWT students experience food insecurity. This indicated a need for the administration to expand dining options on campus.
“We live in a food desert so we’re really concerned about students being able to get those basic needs like food and housing. We did a food justice survey in 2024, January to June and I worked on that with a team led by Dr. Christine Stevens,” Ramirez told The Ledger. “So in my personal experience, I saw the amount of how needed it is, so that’s why we’re trying to push for a basic needs and food pilot program on the UWT campus.”
Although Huskies on the Hills is the biggest event for student advocacy and the deadline to sign up to participate in it has closed, there are also other ways that UWT students can advocate for change, beyond this event.
Ramirez recommended that students get to know the legislators in their district to communicate with them directly, as well as connecting with the Washington Student Association.
“I would recommend that [students] network. The Washington Student Association is a really good spot for them to start networking. My position is on the Washington Student Association team, so we are always in constant communication about the bills that are coming in,” Ramirez said.
To learn more about what legislative district you belong to and who your representatives are, you can visit the Washington State Legislature website. You can also find more information about the bills that ASUWT and the other UW campuses will be lobbying for on the Huskies on the Hill website.