Financial Support

The items listed below can be available to all students, that includes students thinking about attending, currently attending, and graduate students.

UW- La Crosse Foundation  

UW-La Crosse Foundation is for incoming first-year students, transfer, and continuing student scholarships are available through the UWL Foundation. To view this information and application, visit UWL Foundation which administers all Foundation scholarships.

 UWL Foundation Scholarships are available each year starting October 1st. 

 UWL Foundation scholarships are awarded in late Spring and the funds will be applied the following Fall. 

Scholarships 

To learn about scholarship opportunities at UWL, please visit Scholarships Resource Center. UW-LA Crosse also created an “Outside Scholarship” database that will allow a student to search for scholarships related to their identities, major, or the school they are housed. View Outside Scholarships.

FAFSA

Priority deadline to submit your FAFSA is February 1st at UWL (February 1st, 2024 for the 2024-25 FAFSA)

If you have questions about the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), please feel free to check with one of OMSS's Partner in Residence  Ignacio Gabbard-Rocha  (igabbard-rocha@uwlax.edu) from the Financial Aid Office or connect with a Financial Aid Counselor. To receive general information about the FAFSA, visit UWL’s FAFSA General Eligibility. 

To gain more in depth information about FAFSA, visit the Student Guide to Understanding Financial Aid, US Dept. of Education, Smart Student Guide, or Federal Student Aid. 

Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grants 

The Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant Program is a state-funded grant program established to financially assist and support students in completing their undergraduate degrees. Full-time students are eligible for funds up to $4,000, for up to four years or 8 semesters based on financial need. Students must complete 24 credits during the academic year to continue to be qualified for this Grant. 

The Lawton Grant is available to students who meet the following requirements:

Sophomore standing and above (30 credits or more)

Minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA 

United States Citizen 

Wisconsin Resident 

Identify as African American, Latinx/o/a, American Indian, Southeast Asian American Student of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Hmong Heritage

Contact Linli Zou at lzou@uwlax.edu, with additional questions and/or concerns.

Study Abroad Financial Support

Interested in Studying Abroad and wanting to learn about the opportunities to finance your experience abroad, visit Financing Study Abroad.

Native/American Indian  

For students who identify as American Indian, Native, and/or Indigenous there are state and federal opportunities. To see the available option, please visit:  

Indian Student Assistance Grant, an award for “Wisconsin residents who are at least 25% Native American.”  

For the Federal Grant option, please visit the Bureau of Indian Education.  

Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP) 

The intent of the Advanced Opportunity Program Grant is to provide financial assistance to designated racial/ethnic minority and disadvantaged graduate students to improve opportunities for retention and graduation and lessen the burden of student debt.

Awards are available to graduate students who are:  

Member of a disadvantaged or underrepresented racial/ethnic minority group or an economically disadvantaged student.   

Students officially admitted to a graduate program at UWL 

U.S. Citizen or permanent resident 

Priority is given to: 

WI residents

Must be at least half-time (5 credits) per semester 

Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to UW-La Crosse 

Apply for AOP Grant

For more information about financing your graduate career visit, Financial Aid for graduate students. 

For more information about AOP, please contact Dr. Meredith Thomsen (Dean for Graduate & Extended Learning).