Youth and Education
UWM Web site a font of information for those seeking financial aid
Financial aid for college comes in many shapes and forms.
That’s especially true at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where a large percentage of students rely on outside jobs and financial aid to help pay for their vital college education.
Although loans are the most common form of financial aid, says Jane Hojan-Clark, UWM’s executive director of financial aid, there are a number of other options students can look at in preparing for college.
Scholarships, based on merit and/or need, are one possibility. The Diversity Academic Achievement Scholarship program, for example, is available for incoming freshmen and is designed to help increase diversity at UWM by making college more affordable for minority students who may be financially disadvantaged.
Scholarships, which range from $500 to full tuition, are based on grade point average (GPA), ACT (American College Testing) test scores as well as class ranking.
This scholarship, as with many others, gives weight also to a student’s leadership qualities and community involvement, says Clark.
All students from diverse backgrounds are automatically considered for these scholarships--no separate application is required.
A number of university-wide scholarships have specific criteria beyond test scores, class ranking and GPA. The Morgridge Scholarship and the Marguerite Pavlic-Gostomski scholarships, for example, are available to seniors graduating from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School.
The Chancellor’s Award of $3,000 is available to Wisconsin residents; the Illinois Scholar Award is designed for Illinois residents.
The UWM financial aid Web site www4.uwm.edu/financialaid/ offers a free, searchable directory of available scholarships at UWM for freshman and older students as well as links to help find private scholarships.
The Web site, says Hojan-Clark, is a good place to search for all types of financial aid at UWM, including grants based on economic need as well as loan programs, veteran’s benefits or federal work-study programs.
"Scholarships based on merit are just one piece of the financial aid picture," says Hojan-Clark. "There are federal and state grants available as well as both need-based and non-need based loans.
The federal government’s Pell Grant program is one option, and there are new SMART grants designed to encourage students to major in mathematics and sciences.
Wisconsin’s WHEG (Wisconsin Higher Education Grant) provides financial aid to Wisconsin residents to supplement the Pell grants."
The starting point for most financial aid is filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Financial Aid), says Clark, and now is a good time to do that. The form is available online and through UWM’s Financial Aid office.
Students or families with no experience completing the form should consult with a high school guidance office or the UWM Financial Aid office for help.
Students who don’t have computer access at home can search the UWM Financial Aid Web site or fill out the FAFSA with the help of school counselors, use free internet access at libraries, call the Financial Aid office at 414-229-4541 or stop by the office Mellencamp Hall, 2442 East Kenwood Boulevard, Room 162.
UWM financial aid information is also available through school counseling offices, community organizations and UWM’s satellite centers at the Private Industry Council, 2238 North 27th Street, and the United Community Center, 1028 South Ninth Street.
