Understanding the typical timeline for scholarships is an important step in ensuring you will be considered. While some scholarships may vary, the timeline below applies to most scholarships offered by UWM.
The most common time to apply for scholarships for next year is between November 1 and February 1.
| Month | Action |
| August | The Panther Scholarship Portal General Application opens for the academic year that starts 13 months later. Students are encouraged to submit the General Application as soon as possible. Students who submitted the General Application the previous year have most of their responses carried forward for easy updating. |
| October | The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) typically becomes available for the following academic year. Students are encouraged to submit the FAFSA as soon as possible, as need-based scholarships will require the student to submit the FAFSA before the scholarship application deadline to be considered. |
| November | November 1 is the priority deadline for incoming students to complete and submit the Panther Scholarship Portal General Application to ensure consideration for next year’s scholarships. Incoming students should also submit the FAFSA by this date to ensure they can be considered for need-based scholarships. |
| November | Schools and colleges that utilize a secondary application make them available to students in the Panther Scholarship Portal. |
| February | February 1 is the priority deadline for continuing students to complete and submit the Panther Scholarship Portal General Application to ensure consideration for next year’s scholarships. Continuing students should also submit the FAFSA by this date to ensure they can be considered for need-based scholarships. |
| February | February 1 is the typical application submission deadline for schools and colleges that utilize a secondary application in the Panther Scholarship Portal. |
| February | Most scholarship applications for next year are due in the Panther Scholarship Portal. |
| February | Scholarship administrators and committees review applications and make award decisions. |
| March | Scholarship offers are issued to students via email. If the student’s UWM email account is active, offers will be sent to that address. |
| March | Scholarship recipients accept their offers in the Panther Scholarship Portal and complete post-acceptance questions (if required). |
| April | April 1 is the most common deadline for continuing students to accept scholarship offers for next year and answer the post-acceptance questions (if required). |
| May | May 1 is the most common deadline for incoming students to accept scholarship offers for next year and answer the post-acceptance questions (if required). |
| May | Nearly all scholarships for the next academic year have been offered. |
| July | The Panther Scholarship Portal General Application is unavailable while system maintenance occurs for the following awarding cycle. |
| August | The Panther Scholarship Portal General Application opens for the following academic year. |
| August | Financial aid for the fall semester disburses 10 days before the first day of classes. |
Contact Us
To contact the Office of Student Scholarships, use this online contact form. If you have a question about a specific scholarship, include the name of the scholarship and the School/College/Department that awarded it to you or administers it.
In-Person Questions:
Mellencamp Hall, Room 162
2442 E. Kenwood Blvd.
Milwaukee, WI 53211