UWM administers more than $26 million in student scholarships annually. The Office of Student Scholarships (OSS) within the Division of Enrollment Management provides institution-wide leadership with the knowledge, authority, and focus to develop and spearhead the implementation of strategic goals and standard best practices regarding student scholarships.
Mission
Promote the recruitment, retention, and academic success of UW-Milwaukee students through effective implementation and execution of scholarship activities.
Purpose
OSS provides centralized coordination and resources for key functions for student scholarships at UWM, including training, technology, assessment, community-building, policy, and communication. OSS serves as the enterprise system administrator for the Panther Scholarship Portal, UWM’s universal student scholarships platform.
In addition, OSS is the department responsible for the following:
- Administering more than 120 university-wide scholarships held by the UWM Foundation and the Universities of Wisconsin Office of Trust Funds
- Awarding institutional scholarship dollars such as the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship and the Milwaukee Advantage Program
- Processing scholarships in collaboration with the Athletics Department and Graduate School
- Processing external/private scholarships received by UWM students
- Administering retention grants and similar enrollment-driven funding campaigns
OSS also serves as a resource for campus units that award dollars to students for emergency funds and prizes.
Core Values
The following core values guide the work of OSS.
Enthusiasm
Innovation
Flexibility
Focused on Solutions
Communication
Transparency
Service to Others
Attention to Detail
Compliance
Timeliness
Equity
Inclusion
Respect
Partners & Engagement Groups
The following campus units are critical partners to OSS.
OSS also engages the following teams for effective scholarship administration.
CSAOC was initially formed to identify best practices and forward a coordinated strategy across schools, colleges, and units to ensure UWM’s scholarship dollars are used strategically to support recruitment and retention efforts across campus. Following months of engagement, CSAOC’s primary recommendation to campus leadership was the hiring of a Director of Student Scholarships.
CSAOC now serves as an advisory council to the Director of Student Scholarships and is chaired by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management. It is comprised of representatives from numerous campus areas, including schools and colleges, Undergraduate Admissions, Assessment and Institutional Research, Business and Financial Services, University Advancement, and the UWM Foundation.
SAW’s purpose is to facilitate communication and provide a network for those who work with scholarship programs at UWM. SAW meets monthly to discuss issues related to administering scholarships. It is chaired by the Director of Student Scholarships and includes representatives from each of UWM’s scholarship-awarding units as depicted on the campus-wide student scholarships organization chart.
Request to join by contacting the Office of Student Scholarships.
Staff & Organization Chart
- jpspiess@uwm.edu
- 414-251-5212
- Mellencamp Hall, 257
- solis@uwm.edu
- 414-229-5687
- Mellencamp Hall, 270
- jkovtun@uwm.edu
- 414-229-5990
- Mellencamp Hall, 252
- careindl@uwm.edu
- 414-229-6395
- Mellencamp Hall, 253
OSS provides direction, guidance, and support to numerous awarding units across campus.
Location
The administrative staff office is located in Mellencamp Hall, Room 262.
Students seeking assistance should be directed to the Student Financial Service Center, Mellencamp Hall, Room 162.
Impact
Use the links below to learn more about our scholarship recipients.