In the Student Success Center, success coaching exists to build and maintain a foundation that supports students through their collegiate learning experience while supporting the explorations that establish a deep connection to UWM and their personal understanding of success during their time as an undergraduate. In the coaching offered in the SSC, our staff works with students to: 

  • increase self-motivation
  • increase self-efficacy
  • establish improved behaviors of interdependence
  • increase self-awareness
  • expand opportunities for learning
  • foster creative, critical thinking, & problem-solving skills essential for the classroom and beyond UWM
  • develop skills focused on supporting academic skills, financial management, professional/leadership development, and major exploration
  • alleviate effects of institutional roadblocks

Our center provides holistic coaching support for seven (7) student-facing identified programs known as: First Year Forward, Fostering Success, Fund for Wisconsin Scholars, MKE Scholars, Nadella Scholars, Re-Entry Student Success, and Smart Start (joint efforts with UWM Multicultural offices). Each of these programs exist to address a campus-identified student success and retention initiative created to close equity gaps and increase the number of students persisting through graduation. Program requirements and opportunities for financial support will vary across each of them.

Success Coaching Programs

First-Year Forward (FYF) is dedicated to supporting the first-year student transition through success coaching, academic skill building, and referrals to campus resources.
Learn about First-Year Forward
Fostering Success is a program to support and empower independent youth to attend and graduate college. Students receive college coaching, financial support, and help navigating resources.
Learn about Fostering Success
The Fund for Wisconsin Scholars Program (FFWS) randomly selects awardees that are first-year students that have graduated from public Wisconsin high schools who demonstrate a financial gap in covering costs related to tuition and fees. In addition to scholarship support, students are supported by a team of peer mentors and a success coach to help them navigate their college experience.
Learn about Fund for Wisconsin Scholars
The MKE Scholars Program is designed to support holistic student success and retention for first-time incoming students UWM from the city of Milwaukee and identified surrounding areas. Students are offered a renewable scholarship to participate in a summer experience, leadership and service development programming, cohort-based coursework, and 1:1 success coaching throughout their time in the program.
Learn about MKE Scholars
A selective full-ride scholarship opportunity for new incoming students from the city of Milwaukee pursuing one of six identified majors with a strong focus in technology. Additionally, students are provided holistic support through academic advising, success coaching, peer mentoring, and tutoring/supplemental instruction to assist in their transition and pursuit of their degree.
Learn about Nadella Scholars
The Pounce Back program is committed to helping students who stepped away from UWM transition back to complete their degree. The Re-entry Manager can provide support with the re-entry admissions process, navigating campus resources, academic skill building, work/school/life balance and motivation.
Learn about Pounce Back