The scholarship process for all students begins with the Panther Scholarship Portal. In the scholarship portal, you can browse scholarships that currently are accepting applications. Scholarship applications cannot be completed during the month of September as our software is closed for maintenance.

What applications do I fill out and what are the deadlines?

General Application

The “general application” consists of a complete profile about yourself – work history, internships, extracurricular activities, etc. Your answers in the “general application” will carry over from year-to-year for up to four years. Students should add and update their general application at least once per year (and preferably once per semester) and must re-sign it once per year to activate it. It is recommended this be done in October and February of each year. Old information does not present you in the best light when applications are reviewed for various scholarships.

Letters & Science Application

The “L&S application” consists of just one item – upload a copy of your most recent transcript. If you are newly admitted to UWM and do not have a UWM transcript yet, you can upload a copy of your most recent transcript from high school or the last college attended. Your L&S application should be updated each semester when a newer transcript becomes available.

There are many scholarships for which you ONLY need to complete the UWM general scholarship application and the Letters & Science application. Students are automatically reviewed for these scholarships, and you will not see any link to “apply.” If you have thoroughly filled out the general application, you will be considered for everything you qualify for, based on your profile.

Can I apply for specific scholarships?

You might also see scholarships on your dashboard for which you may apply. These are scholarships which DO require additional information beyond the general application and uploaded transcript. More information will be requested when you click Apply.

Featured Letters & Science Scholarship Recipients

	Stephen Drena is a senior graduating in Fall 2021 with a degree in history. He is the recipient of the J. David Hoeveler Merit Scholarship given to high-achieving history juniors and renewable for senior year. “This scholarship means a lot to me as a full-time college student and full-time worker. It provides a huge amount of support in my ability to afford an increasingly expensive post-secondary education cost. It gives me such gratitude to see recognition for working hard in school and working two jobs to support myself. I also see it as a challenge to continue to work hard and do my best in school and in working towards my career.”
	Rachel Oelsner is in her second year of the renewable New Directions scholarship. New Directions is a four-year scholarship given to incoming freshmen in the College of Letters & Science. Rachel is double majoring in Geography and Urban Studies and has aspirations to work in urban planning or municipal government to address housing segregation, inequality, and environmental sustainability. “The New Directions scholarship allows me to experience college without feeling overwhelmed by financial debt. The money from this scholarship has given me the opportunity to make Milwaukee my home and to seamlessly adjust to college life. I will always be grateful for that.”
	Jorge Solorzano Sandi received the Tim Collins Memorial Scholarship given to an outstanding Physics major. He is double majoring in physics and electrical engineering. Originally from Costa Rica, Jorge is a first-generation college student. “I always thought [college] was going to be unattainable and a little bit out of my reach due to financial circumstances.” He is grateful to the donor that has made his education possible and notes that this impacts not just himself but his entire family.
	Keiara Ulmer is a junior majoring in Anthropology. She received the Raman J. Ghei/Tower View Investment Management Scholarship, which is awarded to first-generation college students. After starting as a physics major, Keiara found that anthropology better suits her goals and interests. “A major challenge that I had to face this past year was deciding to change my major from Astrophysics to Anthropology. It was a long and difficult decision to make but after talking with my advisor and immediate family, I was able to confidently decide to pursue a major in Anthropology. After taking a few classes related to the cultural diversity and linguistics aspects of Anthropology, I've come to enjoy learning more about these topics.”

When does the scholarship selection process occur?

The scholarship selection process can occur at any time of the year, but most students are selected on these timelines:

• New freshmen: Selected in December and January, notified in January and February, and paid in September
• Current UWM sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students: Selected in March, April, and May; paid in September and October

What information should I provide?

Students are strongly encouraged to complete the following sections of the UWM general scholarship application. Even though they may not be marked as required fields, students will need to complete these sections to be considered for most College of Letters & Science scholarships.

• Co-Curricular Activities
• Community Service and Volunteer Work
• Work Experience
• Academic Achievements and Honors
• Academic and Career Goals

In addition, students should carefully compose their answers to the essay questions. A lot of grammatical mistakes and spelling errors can be disqualifying factors for L&S scholarships.

Are there scholarships for incoming freshman into L&S?

New incoming freshmen to the College of Letters & Science are encouraged to review the description for the New Directions and the Jan and Tom Montiegel scholarships and to apply if they meet the criteria between October and December 31 each year for priority consideration. Successful candidates will have:

• been admitted to UWM for the following Fall freshman class (e.g. apply in November 2021 if you are starting at UWM as a freshman in Fall 2022)
• plans for a major in the College of Letters & Science
• a high school unweighted GPA of 3.7 or higher
• a strong writing sample
• a deep record of extracurricular activities

Both the New Directions and the Montiegel Scholarships are four-year renewable scholarships valued between $1,000 and $2,500 per year. The application process takes place between October and December 31 of your senior year of high school. Applications are reviewed in January and February, and students are notified in February or March. Late applications will be accepted and will be considered in February if funding is available.

New freshmen may also be eligible for the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship. These scholarships are given to all incoming freshmen regardless of major and is based on high school GPA. More information is at https://uwm.edu/onestop/finances/types-of-financial-aid/scholarships/chancellors-merit-scholarship/.