Wisconsin College Grants

Are you feeling a little financially stressed at the thought of paying to go to college? If so, you are not alone. Many people seek financial aid to help pay for a college education, receiving grants for various sources. Like many states, Wisconsin offers state-sponsored grants that can help alleviate some of the pressure of meeting your financial obligations while still attending school. Of course, different criteria must be met to qualify for several of the grants available in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board administers grants and scholarships for the state university system that includes 12 UW campuses, 16 technical colleges, and close to 2-dozen private colleges, as well as two tribal colleges. Wisconsin Higher Education Grants assist with costs not covered by federal loans for residents with economic disadvantages and can reach up to $3000 per academic year in terms of size. This is available for students attending a state school, and minorities and students with severely disadvantaged backgrounds are given preference.

For private colleges, the state awards the Wisconsin Tuition Grant to those with financial needs. It is designed for undergrads pursuing a degree or certificate at least half time and can range in size, with minimums of $250. For those with non-traditional hardships that may not qualify based on financial need but rather social or cultural, there is the Talent Incentive Program Grant, in which students showing academic promise and motivation for success against the odds can receive up to $1800 in grants per academic year.

List of Wisconsin College Grants

• Minority Undergraduate Retention Grant-Wisconsin — $250 to $2500 awarded each year to varied number of minority undergraduate and graduate students attending Wisconsin college.


• Wisconsin Higher Education Grants (WHEG) — $250 to $2500 awarded each year to varied number of undergraduate students attending Wisconsin college.


• Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate Research Program — Up to $3500 awarded each year to varied number of undergraduate students attending Wisconsin college and majoring in aerospace science.


• Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate Scholarship Program — Up to $1500 awarded each year to varied number of undergraduate students attending Wisconsin college and majoring in aerospace science.

Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.