Scholarships
College is a big investment, and UW-Milwaukee is committed to helping students find ways to pay for it. Scholarships can help. Like grants, scholarships are a type of gift aid and need not be repaid. The Panther Scholarship Portal is your one-stop shop to find and apply for scholarships offered at UWM.
All schools and colleges and many academic departments and programs offer scholarships for students based on a variety of factors, including academic merit, leadership, and service. Some require demonstrated financial need, which means the student must submit a FAFSA to be considered. Access the Panther Scholarship Portal periodically to see if there are any new opportunities available that you might be eligible for.
Information by Student Type
Some scholarships for new freshmen require no action from the student as they are considered automatically through the admission process. Other scholarship opportunities require the student to complete an application in the Panther Scholarship Portal to be considered.
Once you have been admitted to UWM, use your ePantherID to sign in to the Panther Scholarship Portal and complete the General Application. Complete as much as possible, as this will be the primary source of information used to select recipients. Based on your answers in the General Application, you will be directed to fill out more specific applications tied to scholarships for which you are eligible.
Download our Scholarship Flyer
Each scholarship offered by UWM has unique eligibility criteria. Some are open to most or all students. Others have specific requirements about academic achievements, intended majors or careers, or even which high school a student attended. But the Panther Scholarship Portal uses your student data and your answers on the General Application to match you with open scholarship opportunities for which you are eligible. You can then complete and submit applications online.
Incoming students are assigned a school or college based on information they have listed in their application for admission.
Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship
The Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship is automatically awarded to new freshmen based on an unweighted final high school grade point average (GPA).
Black & Gold Scholarship
The Black & Gold Scholarship is automatically awarded to new freshmen based on high school grade point average (GPA).
Admission Scholarships
In recognition of outstanding academic achievement, UWM awards merit-based admission scholarships to incoming first-year students each year through a competitive scholarship awarding process. Awards range from $1,500 to $5,000, and some may be renewable.
How can I qualify for an admission scholarship?
After being admitted, new freshmen students are encouraged to complete the General Application in the Panther Scholarship Portal to be considered for merit-based scholarships.
What is considered in the awarding process?
In addition to the student’s responses on the General Application in the Panther Scholarship Portal, criteria such as high school grade point average, class rank, and ACT/SAT test scores (if provided) may be considered.
When will I hear if I’ve been awarded an admission scholarship?
Scholarship award notices are emailed beginning in late fall and continuing through the spring. Students with questions should contact the Office of Student Scholarships.
Academic Excellence Scholarship
The Wisconsin Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES) is awarded to Wisconsin high school seniors who have the highest grade point average in each public and private high school throughout the State of Wisconsin.
Out-of-State Students
UWM is a great value and an even better investment because we’re competitively priced and students qualify for special discount programs that bring your costs close to Wisconsin resident rates—and far below the price tags of private colleges. The $1,000 annual Milwaukee Advantage Program (MAP) award is offered to students from Illinois and Minnesota.
International Students
International students are eligible for many scholarships at UWM. The Panther Scholarship Portal allows international students, like all students, to explore the scholarships they are eligible for, be considered for those with automatic offers when their ePantherID is activated, and apply to any scholarships that require additional information for consideration.
Use the New Freshman Scholarships filter to see opportunities specific to you in the Panther Scholarship Portal.
New transfer students at UWM are encouraged to complete the Panther Scholarship Portal General Application to be automatically considered for admission scholarships and others. Use the Transfer Student Scholarships filter to view opportunities specific to you.
New transfer students first enrolling at UWM for the spring semester should plan on being admitted by December 1st to be considered for University-Wide scholarships.
The following Schools and Colleges offer scholarship opportunities unique to incoming transfer students:
- Architecture and Urban Planning, School of
- Arts, Peck School of the
- Business, Sheldon B. Lubar College of
- Education, School of
- Information Studies, School of
- Nursing, School of
- Public Health, Joseph J. Zilber College of
- Social Welfare, Helen Bader School of
Out-of-State Students
UWM is a great value and an even better investment because we’re competitively priced and students qualify for special discount programs that bring your costs close to Wisconsin resident rates—and far below the price tags of private colleges. The $1,000 annual Milwaukee Advantage Program (MAP) award is offered to students from Illinois and Minnesota.
Use the Transfer Student Scholarships filter to view opportunities specific to you in the Panther Scholarship Portal.
Continuing students can apply for most scholarship opportunities using the Panther Scholarship Portal.
Each scholarship offered by UWM has unique eligibility criteria. Some are open to most or all students. Others have specific requirements about academic achievements, intended majors or careers, or even which high school a student attended. But the Panther Scholarship Portal uses your student data to match you with open scholarship opportunities for which you are eligible. You can then complete and submit applications online.
Continuing students are encouraged to submit the General Application each year by December 1 to ensure consideration for next year’s scholarships.
If you submitted the General Application and/or a School/College/Department Application in previous academic years, many of your previous responses will carry forward each year to the next awarding cycle. There will be a few questions that require you to submit new responses, along with signing and dating your application(s) for the new awarding cycle. If you do not complete these steps, your application(s) will remain in draft status, and you may not be considered for some scholarship opportunities.
New scholarship applications open throughout the year, so be certain to access the Panther Scholarship Portal periodically to stay up to date with available opportunities. If you’re not currently matching to any scholarships, it is likely there are no scholarship opportunities open.
Check your UWM email for announcements about open applications, and explore the Panther Scholarship Portal for more information on start dates and new opportunities.
Most scholarship opportunities for graduate students come in the form of fellowships, assistantships, and tuition waivers and are offered by departments within the School or College. Visit the Graduate School for more information.
Graduate students are encouraged to visit the Panther Scholarship Portal for other scholarship opportunities.
Fellowships, as well as some tuition remissions or waivers, can affect your financial aid package. Teaching, Research, and Project Assistantships (TAs/RAs/PAs) no longer affect your eligibility for federal aid. Although TAs and PAs are no longer considered a financial aid resource, the earnings should be listed as untaxed income on your FAFSA. If you are receiving a tuition waiver or fellowship from the university, and it does not appear in your PAWS financial aid award, notify the Office of Student Scholarships as soon as possible.
If your other financial aid funds are disbursed prior to your remission/waiver, these will automatically be applied to your tuition account balance. You may not receive any expected refund check until after your tuition remission/waiver has been processed.
Note that graduate students are automatically assigned a Cost of Attendance that assumes in-state tuition and enrollment in eight or more credits. If you are an out-of-state resident and you do not receive non-resident tuition remission, you may contact the Financial Aid Office to request a review of your financial aid package for a possible revision. This may allow you to borrow additional loans (usually in the form of a Federal Direct Grad PLUS or a Private Alternative Loan.)
International Students
International students are eligible for many scholarships at UWM. The Panther Scholarship Portal allows international students, like all students, to explore the scholarships they are eligible for, be considered for those with automatic offers when their ePantherID is activated, and apply to any scholarships that require additional information for consideration.
Non-traditional students typically include students who are returning adults looking to complete their education, students with children and/or dependents, and active members of the military or veterans. Visit the Panther Scholarship Portal for scholarship opportunities.
Students who previously attended UWM and are planning for re-entry may also be eligible for scholarships.
Additional Resources
Use the resources below to understand how scholarships work at UWM.
To apply for scholarships, visit the Panther Scholarship Portal.
All UWM campuses and schools/colleges offer scholarships to their students. Visit their pages below for additional information.
To apply for scholarships, visit the Panther Scholarship Portal.
Aging & Translational Research, Center for
Alumni Association
American Indian Student Center
Architecture and Urban Planning, School of
Arts, Peck School of the
Business, Sheldon B. Lubar College of
Education, School of
Engineering & Applied Science, College of
Freshwater Sciences, School of
Graduate School
Honors College
Information Studies, School of
International Education, Center for
Latin America & Caribbean Studies, Center for
Letters and Science, College of
LGBTQ+ Resource Center
Nursing, School of
Public Health, Joseph J. Zilber College of
Roberto Hernandez Center
Social Welfare, Helen Bader School of
Study Abroad Office
Undergraduate Research, Office of
UWM at Waukesha Foundation
To apply for scholarships, visit the Panther Scholarship Portal.
Private scholarships are a form of gift aid that is awarded to students by external organizations like community nonprofits or local businesses. These are scholarships given by donors and organizations not affiliated with UWM.
We encourage you to use caution when providing personal information to private scholarship providers, and you should never have to pay or purchase products or services in order to be eligible for a scholarship.
Do I have to report receiving a scholarship to anyone? Yes. If you do not report the private scholarship(s) you receive, you may have to repay federal and/or state aid.
Donors or organizations who want to notify UW-Milwaukee of a scholarship for a UWM student may do so here:
It may take up to three weeks from the time UWM receives a private scholarship check to add and disburse it to a student’s PAWS account.
Do you have a scholarship you would like us to post on our site? Complete our Post a Scholarship Form for consideration.
Use the links below to learn more about our scholarship recipients.
Learn more about our mission, purpose, core values, and staff team.
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