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.
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. The general application is used to match students to campus-wide scholarships and awards.
Continuing students (students who have completed one semester at UWM) should complete the general application in October/November each year and update it in January. Update any old information as old information does not present you in the best light!
New incoming freshmen should complete the general application by December 1 of their senior year of high school.
New incoming transfer students should complete it as soon as they are admitted.
Letters & Science Application
The “L&S scholarship application” is used to match students to scholarships that are specific to majors within the College of Letters & Science and is available ONLY to continuing students.
Continuing students (students who have completed one semester at UWM) whose program is in the College of Letters & Science should complete the application in January each year unless directed to do so earlier by your department or program. If your program is not in the College of Letters & Science, you will not have access to this application. If you believe you should have access but are not seeing it on your scholarship dashboard, contact let-sci@uwm.edu.
New incoming freshmen will not complete the L&S scholarship application and you will not see or have access to this application. Instead, follow the steps below in the section for “freshmen” to apply for freshmen scholarships.
New incoming transfer students are not eligible for Letters & Science scholarship until after the completion of one semester at UWM. You will not see or have access to this application.
Other Applications
For many scholarships, 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” to those specific scholarships; you will only see a description of the scholarship. If you have thoroughly filled out the general application and the L&S application, you will be considered for everything you qualify for, based on your profile.
If you see both a description of the scholarship AND an apply button for that scholarship, additional information is required to be considered for that specific scholarship.
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 L&S application. More information will be requested when you click Apply.
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: Applications accepted in October, November and early December of a student’s senior year of high school. Students selected in December and January, notified in January and February, and paid in September of freshman year of college.
- Current UWM sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students: Applications accepted in January. Students selected in February and March. Students paid in September and October
What information should I provide?
We recommend that students complete all parts of the general application thoroughly even though many questions are optional. The more information you share about your accomplishments and background, the better we are able to match you with scholarships and awards. It is particularly important to distinguish yourself from other applicants by providing information that goes beyond your GPA since almost all applicants have stellar grades.
In addition, students should carefully compose their answers. 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 10 each year for priority consideration. Successful candidates will have:
- been admitted to UWM for the following Fall freshman class (e.g. apply in November 2024 if you are starting at UWM as a freshman in Fall 2025)
- 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 10 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.
If you do not meet the criteria, you may not see an “Apply” button for these scholarships and it will be grayed out.
New freshmen may also be eligible for other UWM scholarships, often based on high school GPA. There is no application needed for campus-based, freshmen scholarships.