Black & Gold Scholarship
UW-Milwaukee is committed to helping students pay for college. The Black & Gold Scholarship is automatically awarded to eligible incoming first-year students.
All domestic new first-year students pursuing a bachelor’s degree full-time are eligible based on high school GPA. The scholarship is renewable for up to eight semesters if students continue full-time enrollment at the undergraduate level for consecutive, standard (fall/spring) terms. Qualified first-year students receive their scholarship automatically upon full-time enrollment and are notified of the award shortly after admission. No scholarship application is required. Note: Students admitted to the First-Year Bridge program are ineligible for this award.
As reflected in the Award Amounts tables below, this award may be combined with other scholarships and grants offered by UWM, including the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship.
While the Black & Gold Scholarship uses a student’s high school GPA at the time of application for admission to determine the award amount initially, the student’s final unweighted high school GPA as reflected on their final high school transcript will determine the official award amount. Students must submit their final high school transcript to UWM by August 1. Changes to GPA level will be processed before the first financial aid disbursement date in August just before the start of the fall semester.
Students who drop below full-time enrollment will have the scholarship rescinded and be ineligible to receive it in future semesters.
Award Amounts
| High School GPA | Black & Gold Scholarship Annual Award Amount | Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship Annual Award Amount | Annual Scholarship Total Amount | 4-Year Scholarship Total Amount |
| 4.00 | $500 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $8,000 |
| 3.75 – 3.99 | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $6,000 |
| 3.40 – 3.74 | $500 | $500 | $1,000 | $4,000 |
| 3.00 – 3.39 | $1000 | Not Applicable | $1,000 | $4,000 |
| 2.00 – 2.99 | $500 | Not Applicable | $500 | $2,000 |
UWM is a great value and an even better investment because we’re competitively priced and students qualify for special discount programs that bring your costs close to Wisconsin rates and far below the price tags of private colleges.
| High School GPA | Black & Gold Scholarship Annual Award Amount | Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship Annual Award Amount | Milwaukee Advantage Program Annual Amount | Annual Scholarship Total Amount | 4-Year Scholarship Total Amount |
| 4.00 | $500 | $1,500 | $1,000 | $3,000 | $12,000 |
| 3.75 – 3.99 | $500 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $10,000 |
| 3.40 – 3.74 | $500 | $500 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $8,000 |
| 3.00 – 3.39 | $500 | Not Applicable | $1,000 | $1,500 | $6,000 |
Midwest states include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Dakota.
UWM is a great value and an even better investment because we’re competitively priced and students qualify for special discount programs that bring your costs close to Wisconsin rates and far below the price tags of private colleges.
| High School GPA | Black & Gold Scholarship Annual Award Amount | Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship Annual Award Amount | Annual Scholarship Total Amount | 4-Year Scholarship Total Amount |
| 4.00 | $500 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $8,000 |
| 3.75 – 3.99 | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $6,000 |
| 3.40 – 3.74 | $500 | $500 | $1,000 | $4,000 |
| 3.00 – 3.39 | $500 | Not Applicable | $500 | $2,000 |
Out-of-state students can view our Cost and Financial Aid page for more information.
The Black & Gold Scholarship is a financial commitment from UWM to the recipient. UWM may replace the award for one or more academic years with a named scholarship valued at the same amount.
FAQs
Admitted domestic new freshmen bachelor’s degree-seeking students who enroll full-time are eligible. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years (eight individual fall/spring terms) if students continue full-time enrollment at the undergraduate level for consecutive terms. Students who drop below full-time enrollment will have the scholarship rescinded and be ineligible to receive it in future semesters.
The following populations are not eligible for this scholarship:
- First-Year Bridge students
- International new first-year bachelor’s degree-seeking students
- Transfer students
- UW Flexible Option Degree students
No application is required. Students will automatically receive the offer.
Students are notified of their eligibility for the award via email shortly after admission. Details of the scholarship are shared in their financial aid award or offer email.
Students automatically receive the scholarship offer and will accept their award through the Panther Scholarship Portal.
For high school transcripts that have a weighted GPA, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions recalculates the GPA to be on a 4.0 scale. The calculations used are as follows:
- 1-credit A = 4 grade points
- 1-credit B = 3 grade points
- 1-credit C = 2 grade points
- 1-credit D = 1 grade point
- 1-credit F = 0 grade points
Students enrolling in the associate degree program are not eligible for the award. If a student changes to a bachelor degree program before starting classes at UWM, they will be evaluated for eligibility.
Undergraduate students who matriculate to the graduate career lose eligibility for this scholarship. See the Eligibility Policy for details.
Yes, provided they still meet the eligibility requirements. Students deferring from fall to spring will need to notify the Office of Student Scholarships of their intent to defer so their award can be adjusted accordingly. Students who choose to take a gap year maintain eligibility as long as they do not take courses elsewhere.
Yes! Students can receive this award in combination with need-based programs or other scholarships.
Yes, if the high school transcript utilizes a letter grade system or numerical grade system with an explanatory key. Most high schools that don’t calculate GPAs prepare an extensive explanation of how their grading system works and this is included when the school sends a student’s transcript to UWM. The student’s coursework and application for admission are carefully reviewed by the UWM Office of Undergraduate Admissions staff to calculate a GPA equivalent (on a 4.0 scale) for the sole purpose of consideration for admission and merit-based scholarships.
Because the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship is based on academic merit as defined by a GPA, if the transcript does not include typical letter or numerical grades, the student cannot be considered for the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship. This includes individuals who hold a GED diploma or high school equivalency diploma (HSED).
Yes, summer applicants are eligible, but their award will not be applied to the summer term. The award will be applied to the fall and spring terms.
Yes, spring applicants are eligible, but they will only receive 50% of the annual award for that semester.
No. Students must have full-time continuous enrollment at the undergraduate level to be eligible for the award.
Exceptions may be granted for documented military service or medical withdrawal approved by the Dean of Students Office. Exceptions are not granted for other circumstances.
No. This award is exclusively for new first-year students pursuing a bachelor’s degree.