The scholarship process for all students and all scholarships begins with UWM’s Scholarship Portal. You will need to create a general profile and upload a copy of your transcript.
Many scholarships require no additional application beyond this general scholarship application and uploaded transcript; students are automatically reviewed for these types of scholarships.
You may also see scholarships on your Scholarship Portal dashboard that you can “Apply To.” These are scholarships which do require additional information beyond the general application and uploaded transcript. Be sure to read the description for these to make sure you meet the eligibility requirements before submitting the additional information that is being requested.
In the German program, the following scholarships and awards are generally available on a yearly basis. When they are open and accepting applications and you meet the qualifying criteria, you will see them in your Scholarship Portal dashboard.
The Mariele Schirmer Scholarship
This scholarship of approximately $1,000 is awarded annually in the memory of Professor Mariele Schirmer, who taught both French and German at Wisconsin State College, one of UWM’s predecessor institutions. It is awarded to one French major and one German major every year.
The scholarship is open to German majors and selection is based on academic performance in German, overall academic performance across all courses, the significance of the study of German to future career plans, and financial need.
The Rudolf and Helga Kaden Internship Award
Through a generous gift from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Kaden Fund, students can apply for awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. This award is intended to help UWM students obtain valuable practical experience at a German company (located domestic or abroad) by mitigating as much as possible the undue burden of additional expenses related to taking on an internship.
The amount awarded will reflect this intent and will take into account the expenses incurred by the student for participation in their particular experience. For example, the amount received by someone who secures a paid internship locally in Southeast Wisconsin will likely differ from the amount received by a student performing an unpaid internship in Berlin, Germany.
Students looking to secure an internship in Germany should explore options with these two companies:
Cultural Vistas: This nonprofit exchange organization, with offices in New York, Washington D.C., and Berlin, has existed since 1963. It offers more than 30 exchange programs annually.
USA Interns Program of the Steuben-Schurz-Gesellschaft e.V. : USA Interns is a nonprofit German-American internship program that has been in existence since 1999. It may be especially attractive to UWM Students as it cooperates with the Wisconsin-Hesse Society.
The eligibility requirements for this award are:
- 4 Semesters of College German or its equivalent (Retro / AP / Transfer)
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Preference will be given to German majors, minors, and Business German minors
- You must have successfully applied for an internship at a German company that includes a minimum of 120 hours guaranteed over a four-week period or longer.
Schwertfeger Student Award
Scholarships up to $2,500 will be awarded towards study abroad. Though preference will be given to UWM German majors, minors, and business German minors, other applicants will also be considered. The eligibility requirements are as follows:
- 4 Semesters of College German or its equivalent
- 3.0 minimum overall GPA
- Acceptance to a Study Abroad Program via UWM
- Preference given to German majors, minors, and business German minors