Scholarships

The scholarship process for all students and all scholarships begins with UWM’s Scholarship Portal. The deadline to apply and be considered for the 2024-25 school year is March 1, 2024. The deadline to apply and be considered for the 2025-26 school year is March 1, 2025.

You will need to create a general profile and upload a copy of your most recent transcript. If you previously created a general profile and uploaded a transcript, you should update your profile with any new information and upload a newer version of your transcript that has your Fall 2023 grades on it.

Visit the UWM Scholarship Portal

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.

For more information about JAMS scholarships, please contact Eric Lohman: erlohman@uwm.edu.

Each year, through generous donations from local organizations, JAMS is able to offer its majors a variety of scholarships. While we’d like to be able to offer scholarships to every deserving student, these resources are limited. On a case-by-case basis, the Scholarship Committee may consider some non-majors for scholarships, if they have demonstrated involvement in media (especially on campus) and are an intended JAMS major. Therefore, guidelines have been developed by the JAMS Scholarship Committee to help ensure that those students who demonstrate the greatest level of need and academic achievement are selected as scholarship recipients.

Here is general information regarding scholarships available through JAMS that will help you to determine not only how to apply and when to apply, but also how to present other information required by the committee.

Scholarship levels – These amounts vary from year to year, some for hundreds of dollars and some thousands of dollars. Amounts are generally established by the University during the summer.

Number of scholarships awarded – These amounts vary from year to year. Generally between 10 and 20 scholarships are awarded.

JAMS scholarship recipients are announced following the announcement of the University’s Foundation account allocation during the summer (typically in July). The scholarships funds are not dispersed until the following fall and spring semesters. The funds are applied directly to the students’ tuition account in equal sums depending upon the amount awarded (amounts vary). All applicants must be enrolled at UWM and continue to pursue the JAMS major for one full academic year if awarded a scholarship (for example, winners who applied in the spring of 2020 must be enrolled at UWM and continue to pursue the JAMS major through spring 2021 or beyond.)

Scholarships Offered

Journal Foundation Donald and Barbara Abert Scholarship

Selection Criteria: The following criteria must be met when awarding this scholarship. Selection of the individual(s) and determination of both the number of awards and the dollar amount(s) are left to the discretion of the institution (unless otherwise stated below) as long as those decisions are in keeping with the award criteria. It is preferred that Greater Milwaukee Foundation Journal Foundation scholarships should provide each student with a minimum of $1,000 per semester whenever possible. However, discretion is left to the institution.

Course of Study/Major: Journalism

Academic Level: Undergraduate or graduate

Purpose/Use: This scholarship may be used only for tuition and fees for full-time students.

Preference:

Financial Need: Demonstrated financial need.

Geographic Area: Open

Grade Requirements: Although there is no specific grade requirement, the recipient should show scholastic ability based on high school or college transcripts as a measure of academic performance and ability to succeed.

Renewable: The institution has the discretion to award future scholarships to the same student in subsequent years.

Journal Foundation Walter Jay and Clara Charlotte Damm Scholarship

Selection Criteria: The following criteria must be met when awarding this scholarship. Selection of the individual(s) and determination of both the number of awards and the dollar amount(s) are left to the discretion of the institution (unless otherwise stated below) as long as those decisions are in keeping with the award criteria. It is preferred that Greater Milwaukee Foundation Journal Foundation scholarships should provide each student with a minimum of $1,000 per semester whenever possible. However, discretion is left to the institution.

Course of Study/Major: The recipient should intend to pursue a career in radio, television or other news and entertainment communication media.

Academic Level: Undergraduate or graduate

Purpose/Use: This scholarship may be used only for tuition and fees for full-time students.

Preference:

Financial Need: Demonstrated financial need.

Geographic Area: Open

Grade Requirements: Although there is no specific grade requirement, the recipient should show scholastic ability based on high school or college transcripts as a measure of academic performance and ability to succeed.

Renewable: The institution has the discretion to award future scholarships to the same student in subsequent years.

Journal Foundation Ione Quinby Griggs Scholarship

Selection Criteria: The following criteria must be met when awarding this scholarship. Selection of the individual(s) and determination of both the number of awards and the dollar amount(s) are left to the discretion of the institution (unless otherwise stated below) as long as those decisions are in keeping with the award criteria. It is preferred that Greater Milwaukee Foundation Journal Foundation scholarships should provide each student with a minimum of $1,000 per semester whenever possible. However, discretion is left to the institution.

Course of Study/Major: Journalism

Academic Level: Undergraduate or graduate

Purpose/Use: This scholarship may be used only for tuition and fees for full-time students.

Financial Need: Demonstrated financial need.

Geographic Area: Open

Grade Requirements: Although there is no specific grade requirement, the recipient should show scholastic ability based on high school or college transcripts as a measure of academic performance and ability to succeed.

Renewable: The institution has the discretion to award future scholarships to the same student in subsequent years.

Francie and Albert Silverman/Milwaukee Press Club Endowment Ltd. Scholarship

Course of Study/Major: Recipient shall be a student who is majoring in Journalism and/or Mass Communication and intends to pursue a career in journalism.

Academic Level: Undergraduate, with at least one semester of study remaining.

Purpose/Use: This scholarship may be used only for tuition and fees for full-time students.

Preference: Preference should be given to those students who have good academic standing and demonstrated potential for success in journalism.

Financial Need: Demonstration of financial need is not required.

Geographic Area: Open

Grade Requirements: Although there is no minimum grade requirement, preference should be given to those applicants who show the ability to succeed as measured by their collegiate academic performance.

Non-Renewable: Recipients are not eligible for multiple Milwaukee Press Club scholarships.

Don Walker Memorial Scholarship

The Don Walker Memorial scholarship committee, including the Don Walker family, has worked with UWM to develop the following criteria for the recipient of the Don Walker Memorial scholarship: Qualifying student preferences:

  • A declared major in journalism or a closely related field.
  • A minimum grade-point average of 3.0.
  • Financial need, based on university calculations.

Don Walker was a reporter and editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Special thanks to the Milwaukee Press Club.

Dr. Donna Decker Scholarship

Selection Criteria: The following criteria must be met when awarding this $1,000 scholarship.

Course of Study/Major: Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies (any track)

Academic Level: Junior or Senior

Grade Requirements: Minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA

The Keith Spore Journal Communications Scholarship Fund

This scholarship’s purpose is to provide scholarships to students in Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies. The goal of the fund is to benefit journalism students in the College of Letters and Science at UW-Milwaukee. Scholarships will be based on the following criteria:

  • Academic merit
  • Demonstrated financial need
  • Declared major in Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies

Michael Petrick Scholarship

Scholarship is intended for undergraduate “news-editorial” students in Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies. Students should also demonstrate financial need and strong academic standing.

Louise J. Kordus Memorial Scholarship

The Louise J. Kordus Memorial Scholarship is given to multiple JAMS students who demonstrate academic excellence and commitment to their field of study.

Rafi and Zohreh Scholarship

This $2,000 scholarship is given to a journalism student entering senior year in Fall 2020. The recipient will have demonstrated academic merit and will have an appreciation and understanding of non-U.S. cultures and identities as demonstrated through personal background, study abroad, extracurricular activities, or other similar cross-cultural experience. Financial need may be considered but is not required.

Dave Edwards Scholarship

A $1,000 scholarship is given to a declared JAMS major with demonstrated financial need, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and who is a first-generation college student. First-generation is defined as a student whose grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles did not graduate from college. Preference will be given to a student with career aspirations in radio journalism.