MADISON, Wis. -- Thousands of University of Wisconsin college students from across the state might be heading to college this fall without knowing if they can afford it.

That's because the battle over the state budget has prompted some officials to put all state financial aid grant applications on hold.

There have been bumps in financial aid allocation before due to late state budgets, but the state agency that disperses the biggest financial aid grant program said it has never suspended application requests this early.

Milwaukee resident and incoming freshman at UW-Madison Adrianna Stovall said she still hasn't heard about her financial aid grant application.

"I'm very nervous, because if I don't have it, then I don't know how I'm going to pay for it," Stovall said.

Stovall and Larry Love, who's also waiting to hear about his grant application, might be among thousands of low-income students who pay a price for this year's divisive state budget battle, WISC-TV reported.

The latest two-year proposal by the Republican-led Assembly took out money for financial aid, leaving the most popular grant program for the lowest income students roughly $7 million below what students have already been promised for next year.

The agency that dispenses the financial aid said the budget is currently so much in flux that it's had to put all applications received after June 27 on hold.

Those aid requests are not being processed in any way until state allocations are passed, WISC-TV reported.

Connie Hutchison, executive secretary of the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board, said that students sending in applications for aid after June 27 won't get information anytime soon.

"They will not know if they qualify for a grant, and if they do qualify, they won't know how much they qualify for until he budget is completed," Hutchison said.

Hutchison said that might not be until after school starts this fall.

Among those waiting for word about grant money are 400 students at UW-Parkside, one of the biggest minority and low-income campuses.

At UW-Milwaukee, there about 1,500 waiting for word on aid for next year.

The UW System estimated that as many as 6,000 overall might be at risk for giving up on school altogether or going deeper into debt because they learn of their aid awards too late.

Stovall said if she doesn't get financial aid money, she'll probably try to take out some loans.

"If it's not too late for that. Other than that, I'm not sure," Stovall said.

"I probably wouldn't stay on campus. And for books, I'll just take out loans," Love said.

Hutchison said if the Republican budget allocation goes in -- some $39 million -- it would be below the level mandated by state law.

She said it might be serving 3,000 fewer students and cutting awards already given out.

Still, officials said needy students are urged to apply for grants because once the budget does pass, requests will be processed within 24 hours.

Neither the Assembly Speaker nor another republican who voted for the cuts returned phone calls about the issue, WISC-TV reported.