💰 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Merit Scholarships

Total Scholarships

19

Automatic

3

In-State Awards

$325-$5,000/yr

Out-of-State Awards

$325-$5,000/yr

Multi-Year Awards

$1,000 total

Typical Requirements for Automatic Merit

Requirements vary by scholarship

What you'd actually pay at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Tuition & fees

$17,780

−

Largest annual award

$5,000

=

Students receiving it pay about

$12,780/yr

Tuition and fees only — housing (about $8,702), books and travel are extra. Awards must still be won and may carry renewal conditions. Need-based aid is separate and may reduce this further.

Official Scholarship Information

View complete details on University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's website

Visit School Website →

Automatic merit scholarships at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse — no separate application

3 awards granted on your admission application, based on GPA and test scores.

Eagle Apprentice Award

Financial support for the Eagle Apprentices includes a $1,000 grant in their first year and $1,000 in their second year.

Eligibility: The Eagle Apprentice Program offers 50 first- and second-year students an engaging educational experience... Eligible students are selected by the Admissions Office and no application is required.

How to apply: ["selected by Admissions Office", "no application required", "work with faculty mentor"]

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Midwest Tuition Rate

Selected students may attend the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for 150% of the Wisconsin resident tuition.

Eligibility: Awardee academic profiles typically include a class rank in the top 15% or a GPA above 3.95 (unweighted). Submission of ACT or SAT scores is not required for consideration. However, eligible students with scores above 25 (ACT) or 1200 (SAT) may be given preference.

How to apply: ["automatic consideration for new freshmen from listed Midwest states", "no separate application required"]

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UWL Merit-Based Scholarships (Admissions Office)

In recognition of outstanding academic achievement, UW-La Crosse awards more than 400 merit-based scholarships to incoming students each year through a competitive scholarship award process.

Eligibility: All incoming freshmen admitted by our priority application date of February 1, will be automatically considered for merit-based scholarships, as long as funds are available. Because funding is limited, we encourage you to apply to UWL early for the best chance to receive an award. No separate scholarship application is required.

How to apply: ["admit by priority application date of February 1", "no separate scholarship application required"]

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Other scholarships at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (16)

These require a separate application, or the school does not publish their eligibility criteria.

Non-Resident Merit-Based Scholarships (overview)

In recognition of outstanding academic achievement, UW-La Crosse awards a significant amount of merit-based scholarships to incoming non-resident students each year through a competitive awarding process.

Eligibility: For additional information regarding our merit-based scholarships for non-resident students, please contact Dyllan Griepentrog at dgriepentrog@uwlax.edu or (608)785-8938.

How to apply: ["contact Admissions for details"]

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Chu Environmental Science Scholarship

$1,000/yr

Dr. Gregory and Sabrina Chu Environmental Science Scholarship ($1,000; Deadline: January 15, 2026)

Eligibility: To be eligible for this award students must: Be enrolled full-time at UW-La Crosse with a major in Geography: Environmental Science Concentration or Environmental Science: Environmental Geospatial Track; Have completed two GEO courses (one at 300 level or above); Be in good academic standing with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and at least a 3.0 GPA in their Geography

How to apply: ["application via AcademicWorks", "3.0 cumulative GPA and 3.0 GPA in Geography"]

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David S. Miller Young Scientist Scholarship

$1,500/yr

The David S. Miller Young Scientist Scholarship is funded by the American Geophysical Union... the AGU awards $1,500 to students in an environmental studies-related program.

Eligibility: To apply for this scholarship, students must: Be an undergrad or grad student; Undergrads must have completed at least four full semesters of study; Have at least a 3.4 GPA and show financial need; Show a recorded interest in a geo-environmental engineering or the geo-environmental sciences career.

How to apply: ["application to AGU", "3.4 GPA (for eligibility)", "financial need"]

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Dennis Seeger Scholarship

$2,500/yr

Dennis Seeger Scholarship in Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies ($2,500; Deadline: January 15, 2026)

Eligibility: Required Qualifications: Enrolled full-time at UWL; Pursuing specified majors/concentrations; Junior or senior; Financial need must be a major consideration

How to apply: ["application (through department/foundation)", "junior or senior", "financial need considered"]

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Dr. Gregory and Sabrina Chu Geography Scholarship

$1,000/yr

Dr. Gregory and Sabrina Chu Geography Scholarship ($1,000; Deadline: January 15, 2026)

Eligibility: To be eligible for this award students must: Be enrolled full-time at UW-La Crosse with a major in Geography; Be enrolled as a junior or senior and have at least one semester remaining at UWL; Have completed two mapping sciences courses at the 200 level and above; Be in good academic standing with a GPA of at least 3.00

How to apply: ["application via AcademicWorks", "completed mapping sciences courses", "3.0 GPA"]

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Father James B. Macelwane Award

$1,000 one-time

The recipient of the Father James B. Macelwane award will receive a stipend of $1000 supported by member donations to the AMS Giving Program.

Eligibility: The student must be enrolled as an undergraduate at the time the paper is written, and no more than two students from any one institution may enter papers in any one contest.

How to apply: ["submit original student paper in atmospheric sciences", "undergraduate enrollment at time of paper submission"]

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George N. Huppert Memorial Scholarship

$500/yr

George N. Huppert Memorial Scholarship in Geography ($500; Deadline: January 15, 2026)

Eligibility: To be eligible for this award students must: Be enrolled full-time at UW-La Crosse with a major in Geography; Be in good academic standing with an above-average grade point average; Be a sophomore, junior, or senior

How to apply: ["application via AcademicWorks", "full-time enrollment", "above-average GPA"]

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Harold A. Classen Scholarship

$1,350/yr

Harold A. Classen Scholarship in the Department of Geography ($1,350; Deadline: January 15, 2026)

Eligibility: To be eligible for this award students must: Be a junior or senior enrolled full-time with a Geography major; Have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA with at least a 3.35 GPA in Geography

How to apply: ["application via AcademicWorks", "junior or senior", "3.0 cumulative GPA; 3.35 GPA in Geography"]

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Harriet Evelyn Wallace Scholarship

$5,000/yr

The Harriet Evelyn Wallace Scholarship is a merit-based award, which is $5,000 per year.

Eligibility: This scholarship is available for female students pursuing a Master's or Doctoral degree at an accredited institution of higher education in a recognized geoscience program.

How to apply: ["application to American Geosciences Institute", "graduate student (Master's or Doctoral)", "female students"]

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Jerry Culver Scholarship

$750/yr

Jerry Culver Scholarship in Geography ($750; Deadline: January 15, 2026)

Eligibility: To be eligible for this award students must: Be a sophomore, junior, or senior enrolled full-time with a major in Geography; Have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and at least a 3.25 GPA in Geography/Environmental Science

How to apply: ["application via AcademicWorks", "3.0 cumulative GPA; 3.25 GPA in major"]

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Kirk Louis McIlraith Scholarship

$325/yr

Kirk Louis McIlraith Scholarship in Geography ($325; Deadline: January 15, 2026)

Eligibility: To be eligible for this award students must: Be a sophomore, junior, or senior enrolled full-time with a major in Geography; Have at least a 3.0 GPA

How to apply: ["application via AcademicWorks", "3.0 GPA"]

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Margaret Chew Scholarship

$500/yr

Margaret Chew Scholarship for Geography Majors ($500; Deadline: January 15, 2026)

Eligibility: To be eligible for this award students must: Declare Geography as a major at the time of admission; Have a minimum ACT score of 25 out of 36 (or its SAT equivalent); Be a sophomore; Be enrolled full-time with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and at least a 3.5 GPA in Geography and Environmental Science

How to apply: ["application via AcademicWorks", "minimum ACT 25 (or SAT equivalent)", "3.0 cumulative GPA; 3.5 GPA in major"]

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Return to Wisconsin Discount

Return to Wisconsin program, which offers a 25 percent discount on the difference between resident and non-resident tuition rates for eligible students whose parents, stepparents, or grandparents graduated from UW-La Crosse.

Eligibility: Non-resident undergraduate students, not including residents of Minnesota, are eligible for participation in the Return to Wisconsin program... Download the Return to Wisconsin Form to complete and send to the Admissions Office to establish eligibility for this program.

How to apply: ["download and submit Return to Wisconsin Form", "parents/stepparents/grandparents graduated from UWL"]

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Ryan Poehling Memorial Scholarship

$2,000/yr

Ryan Poehling Memorial Scholarship ($2,000; Deadline: First Friday in November)

Eligibility: To be eligible for this award students must: Have at least junior standing; Be a Geography Major; Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher

How to apply: ["UW-La Crosse Scholarship Application", "essay", "junior standing", "Geography major"]

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UWL First! Scholars Award

Students are offered a $2,000.00 scholarship for the first and second year of enrolled.

Eligibility: UWL First! Scholars are high performing, first generation students who have been hand selected by the UWL Admissions Office to participate in this scholarship and retention program.

How to apply: ["hand selected by Admissions Office", "first generation/low income focus"]

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Wayne Jacobson Scholarship

$500/yr

Wayne Jacobson Scholarship Fund in Geography ($500; Deadline: January 15, 2026)

Eligibility: To be eligible for this award students must: Be a full-time student with a major in Geography; Have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 with a 3.5 GPA in Geography; Have earned at least 12 credits in Geography with a total number of credits between 45 and 90

How to apply: ["application via AcademicWorks", "3.25 cumulative GPA; 3.5 GPA in Geography", "at least 12 Geography credits"]

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Common questions about University of Wisconsin-La Crosse scholarships

How much merit aid does University of Wisconsin-La Crosse give?

Published awards range $325-$5,000/yr. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse lists 19 merit scholarships in total.

Does University of Wisconsin-La Crosse give merit scholarships to out-of-state students?

Yes. Awards for out-of-state students run $325-$5,000/yr.

Is there a full-ride scholarship at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

Not a full ride. The largest published award covers about 28% of tuition.

More on University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

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