UWM administers more than $28 million in student scholarships annually. The Office of Student Scholarships (OSS) within the Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success provides institution-wide leadership with the knowledge, authority, and focus to develop and spearhead the implementation of strategic goals and standard best practices regarding student scholarships.

Mission

Promote the recruitment, retention, and academic success of UW-Milwaukee students through effective implementation and execution of scholarship activities.

Purpose

OSS provides centralized coordination and resources for key functions for student scholarships at UWM, including training, technology, assessment, community-building, policy, and communication. OSS serves as the enterprise system administrator for the Panther Scholarship Portal, UWM’s universal student scholarships platform.

In addition, OSS is the department responsible for the following:

OSS also serves as a resource for campus units that award dollars to students for prizes.

Core Values

The following core values guide the work of OSS.

Adaptability
Positivity
Enthusiasm
Innovation
Flexibility
Focused on Solutions
Collaboration
Leadership
Communication
Transparency
Service to Others
Integrity
Ethical Decision-Making
Attention to Detail
Compliance
Timeliness
Diversity
College Attainability
Equity
Inclusion
Respect

Partners & Engagement Groups

The following campus units are critical partners to OSS.

OSS also engages the following teams for effective scholarship administration.

Chancellor’s Scholarship Administration Oversight Council

CSAOC was initially formed to identify best practices and forward a coordinated strategy across schools, colleges, and units to ensure UWM’s scholarship dollars are used strategically to support recruitment and retention efforts across campus. Following months of engagement, CSAOC’s primary recommendation to campus leadership was the hiring of a Director of Student Scholarships.

CSAOC now serves as an advisory council to the Director of Student Scholarships and is chaired by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management. It is comprised of representatives from numerous campus areas, including schools and colleges, Undergraduate Admissions, Assessment and Institutional Research, Business and Financial Services, University Advancement, and the UWM Foundation.

Scholarship Administrators Workgroup

SAW’s purpose is to facilitate communication and provide a network for those who work with scholarship programs at UWM. SAW meets monthly to discuss issues related to administering scholarships. It is chaired by the Director of Student Scholarships and includes representatives from each of UWM’s scholarship-awarding units as depicted on the campus-wide student scholarships organization chart.

Request to join by contacting the Office of Student Scholarships.

Staff & Organization Chart

Joel P. Spiess, MS
Director
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Maria Solis
Associate Director
Jamie Kovtun
Student Scholarships Manager
Cindy Reindl, MS
Student Scholarships Manager

OSS provides direction, guidance, and support to numerous awarding units across campus.

Location

The administrative staff office is located in Mellencamp Hall, Room 262.

Students seeking assistance should be directed to the Student Financial Service Center, Mellencamp Hall, Room 162.