Grants

Federal Pell Grants are awarded to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree. How much you receive is dependent on:

• The Student Aid Index determined by your FAFSA.
• Whether you’re a full-time or part-time student.
• Whether you attend school for a full academic year or less.
• Lifetime Limit: Students are limited to a maximum of 12 full-time semesters (or 600%) of Pell Grant funding in your lifetime.

Effective with the 2026-27 academic year:

• Students who have scholarships covering their full cost of attendance will be ineligible for a Pell Grant if their total aid from other private, state, or institutional scholarships equals or exceeds their cost of attendance. Scholarships may need to be reduced in order to retain your Pell Grant eligibility.
• An applicant with a Student Aid Index (SAI) equal to or greater than twice the maximum Federal Pell Grant award amount for the award year is ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant. This limit does not apply to students who qualify for a Federal Pell Grant under the Special Rule (dependents of certain deceased service members and public safety officers).
• If you excluded foreign earned income from your tax return in accordance with U.S. tax law, that amount will be added back to the adjusted gross income (AGI) on the FAFSA form. It will be considered when when determining Federal Pell Grant eligibility.
• The information on our Financial Aid Updates page will provide guidance on what has changed related to all federal student aid programs. These regulations are scheduled to become effective on July 1, 2026.

This grant is awarded to students with exceptional need.

Priority for this grant is given to undergraduate students who file a FAFSA by July 1 and have a Student Aid Index of $7,000 or less. Additional undergraduate students with financial need may receive this grant based on the funds available. This grant is equal to the Blugold Commitment tuition differential.

This grant is used to help meet the needs of students who are experiencing unique or extenuating circumstances.

This grant has a maximum award of $2,000 and helps pay for study abroad expenses. You may be considered for this grant if you:

• Are studying abroad in the Fall or Spring semesters, or during Winterim.
• Have financial need.
  NOTE: Recipients typically have an SAI of $10,000 or less.
• Are a Wisconsin resident.
• Are enrolled full-time for the semester prior to your time abroad.

This grant is similar to the Wisconsin Study Abroad Grant. However, it is open to students who are not Wisconsin residents, and it can be used for summer study abroad experiences.

This state-funded grant is awarded to Wisconsin residents with high need. Funds are prorated based on enrollment and you may be eligible if enrolled less than half time. You may receive this grant for a maximum of 10 semesters. This grant is available during the Fall and/or Spring semesters.
NOTE: If you are not a Wisconsin resident, contact the agency in your home state to see the availability of state grants while attending an out-of-state school.

This grant is awarded to Wisconsin residents who are of African American, Hispanic, Native American, or Southeast Asian descent. You must be a sophomore and have at least a 2.00 GPA to be eligible. This grant is based on need and is available for up to four years.

This grant is targeted to low-income Wisconsin residents who are enrolled at least half-time as first-time freshmen. The grant is awarded for up to four years. Contact Blugold Central or your local Wisconsin Educational Opportunity Office to apply.

This grant is awarded to Wisconsin Native Americans with at least quarter blood ancestry or who have tribal affiliation. You can be awarded $1,100 per year for up to 10 semesters. Complete the Indian Scholarship Application and return it to the Tribal Office to apply.

This grant is awarded to students with tribal membership or blood ancestry.
NOTE: The percentage of blood ancestry needed may vary.

The grant is worth approximately $1,800. Complete the Indian Scholarship Application and return it to the Tribal Office to apply.

This is a state grant for undergraduate Wisconsin residents and who did not receive the Wisconsin Higher Education Grant. Students must show unmet need to qualify.

This grant fund is available for Wisconsin residents who have unmet need.

The FFWS is a private foundation established in 2007 by a monetary gift from John P. and Tashia F. Morgridge, which provides grants to talented graduates of Wisconsin public high schools attending a UW or WTCS college or university. The grants are gifts and do not need to be repaid.

There is no application process for the FFWS grants. The recipients of the FFWS grants are randomly chosen from a group of eligible students through a selection process completed in the Student Success Office of the UW System.

A communication is sent directly to selected students with next steps.  Please refer to the FFWS email for more details regarding access to the Student Response Form which is submitted electronically. 

The Universities of Wisconsin are committed to making a UW degree as affordable as possible. The Wisconsin Tuition Promise is one way in which we strive to do so by covering the cost of tuition and fees for eligible undergraduate students. The Wisconsin Tuition Promise was available to qualified students who enrolled in 2023 at any UW university and will be again in 2025.

For more information please review information found on the Universities of WI site: https://www.wisconsin.edu/tuition-promise/