The Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES) is awarded to Wisconsin high school seniors who have the highest grade point average in each public and private high school throughout the State of Wisconsin.

The scholarship program is administered by the State of Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB).

The value of the scholarship is $2,250 per year, to be applied towards tuition. Recipients are eligible to receive the AES for up to 8 semesters. Half of the scholarship is funded by the state, while the other half is matched by UWM.

The number of scholarships each high school is eligible for is based on total student enrollment in grades 9-12. To receive a scholarship, a student must be enrolled on a full-time basis by September 30th of the academic year following the academic year in which they were designated as a scholar.

FAQs

How is my scholarship applied to my tuition charges?

Half of the scholarship is funded by the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB), while the other half is funded by UWM. The UWM portion of your scholarship is applied to your semester tuition charges as a waiver. You will see this split between two different funding sources on your PAWS financial aid tab.

Why can’t I see my Academic Excellence Scholarship disbursed in PAWS?

Your scholarship will be applied to your student account in two parts each semester. The first portion will be applied as a tuition waiver to your semester tuition charges. The second portion will be applied as the Academic Excellence Scholarship. Please check your Account Activity on your PAWS home page for line-by-line detail.

Why am I not seeing the full $2,250 on my billing statement?

Half of the scholarship is funded by the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB), while the other half is funded by UWM. The UWM portion of the Academic Excellence Scholarship does not appear under ‘anticipated aid’ on your billing statement because it is a tuition waiver, not a payment. You will see only the HEAB portion of your scholarship listed on your billing statement.