Office of Student Scholarships

UWM administers more than $23 million in student scholarships annually. The Office of Student Scholarships 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 UW System 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

• Adaptability: positivity, enthusiasm, innovation, flexibility, focused on solutions
• Collaboration: leadership, communication, transparency, service to others
• Integrity: ethical decision-making, attention to detail, compliance, timeliness
• Diversity: college attainability, equity, inclusion, respect 

Engagement Groups

Chancellor’s Scholarship Administration Oversight Council

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.

Scholarship Administrators Workgroup

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. Request to join by contacting the Office of Student Scholarships. 

Staff

Name	Role
Joel Spiess	Director of Student Scholarships
Maria Solis	Associate Director of Student Scholarships
Jamie Kovtun	Student Scholarships Manager
Cindy Reindl	Student Scholarships Manager