In just a few weeks, Cougs will travel to Olympia to take over the Capitol.

Applications to attend Coug Day at the Capitol are due at 5 p.m. tomorrow. ASWSU is looking for involved students with any knowledge on state and local politics as well as those with diverse cultural and geographic backgrounds.

The event takes place over a weekend, Feb. 16-18.

“If accepted, applicants will receive one two-hour training session,” ASWSU President Taylor Hennessey said.

The event was coordinated in large part by Tanner Lemke, the associate director of legislative affairs for ASWSU.

Students will address the Real Hope Act, formerly known as the DREAM Act, among other legislative issues, including one to benefit student veterans from around the country.

“It allows veterans that have been on active duty status to qualify for in-state tuition after they’ve been discharged,” Hennessey said.

Lemke said ASWSU vied to pass the bill last year, “but it died at the last second.” He said the bill will enable more students to qualify for need-based financial aid without affecting the eligibility of current recipients.

The committee might also support a sales tax holiday that would enable students to purchase textbooks at lower rates.

“Last year WSU students were called the most effective lobbyists in the capital,” Hennessey said, attributing student lobbying efforts to the frozen tuition rates of the 2013-2014 school year.

Tuition remains the major focus for the students this year.

“Obviously, the number one priority is to either get the tuition freeze we did last year or get a tuition cut,” Lemke said. “That’s always our main goal.”

Lemke said most of ASWSU’s goals are feasible.

“It’s going to be a little more competitive this year,” Hennessey said, noting that only 50 students will be accepted to participate. “Last year we had about 85 meetings with private legislators and students.”

The reduced scale of the event is the result of a scheduling conflict: Coug Day is scheduled on the last day legislators can get bills to the committee, so students will be allowed only two minutes to make their case on the Senate floor.

In previous years, each student was allowed 15 minute private meetings with the legislators.

Lemke said he is not happy the event will be smaller than in previous years.

“We were actually hoping to bring more people than last year,” he said.