Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship
The Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship is automatically awarded to new freshmen based on the student’s unweighted final high school grade point average (GPA).
All domestic new freshmen pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the Milwaukee campus are eligible. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years if students continue full-time enrollment. Qualified freshmen receive their scholarship automatically upon full-time enrollment and are notified of the award shortly after admittance. No scholarship application is required.
The award may be combined with other scholarships and grants offered by UWM, including the Black & Gold Scholarship.
Eligibility Requirements
| Tier | High School GPA | Annual Award Amount | 4-Year Award Amount |
| Tier 1 | 4.00 | $1,500 | $6,000 |
| Tier 2 | 3.75 – 3.99 | $1,000 | $4,000 |
| Tier 3 | 3.40 – 3.74 | $500 | $2,000 |
While the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship uses a student’s high school GPA at the time of application for admission to initially determine the award amount, 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 tiers will be processed prior to the first date of financial aid disbursement in August just before the start of the fall semester.
FAQs
Admitted domestic new freshmen bachelor’s degree-seeking students who enroll full-time at the Milwaukee campus are eligible.
International new freshmen bachelor’s degree-seeking students are not eligible for the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship; however, they are considered for other admission-based awards by the UWM Center for International Education (CIE).
Transfer students are not eligible for this scholarship.
UW Flexible Option Degree students are not eligible for this scholarship.
No application is required. Students will automatically receive the offer based on their unweighted high school GPA.
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
Yes. While the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship uses a student’s high school GPA at the time of application for admission to initially determine the award amount, 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 tiers will be processed prior to the first date of financial aid disbursement in August just before the start of the fall semester.
Students enrolling in the associate degree program are not eligible for the award; therefore, a student will not be eligible if they decide to enroll at the Waukesha or Washington County campuses, even if they later transfer to the Milwaukee campus.
If a student changes their career to the Milwaukee campus before starting classes at UWM, they will be evaluated for eligibility.
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 to be eligible for the award.
No. This award is exclusively for new freshmen pursuing a bachelor’s degree on the Milwaukee campus.