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ā† Back to University of Wisconsin-Madison

šŸ’° University of Wisconsin-Madison Merit Scholarships

Total Scholarships
6
Automatic
5
In-State Awards
$1,000-$13,500/yr
Out-of-State Awards
$1,000-$13,500/yr
Typical Requirements for Automatic Merit
Requirements vary by scholarship

University of Wisconsin-Madison offers 6 merit scholarships. Awards run $1,000-$13,500/yr for out-of-state students. Against tuition of $40,506, students receiving the largest award pay about $27,006 a year before other aid.

What you'd actually pay at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Tuition & fees
$40,506
āˆ’
Largest annual award
$13,500
=
Students receiving it pay about
$27,006/yr

Tuition and fees only ā€” housing (about $14,124), 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-Madison's website
Visit School Website ā†’

Automatic merit scholarships at University of Wisconsin-Madison ā€” no separate application

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

Departmental Scholarships (Engineering)
Award
$1,000-$5,000/yr in-state
$1,000-$5,000/yr out-of-state
Award amounts vary and can range from $1000 ā€“ $5000.
Eligibility: To be considered for the Engineering Freshman Award, you MUST complete a UW-Madison admissions application. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required. Students are strongly encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAĀ®), but it is not required. To be considered for a departmental scholarship, you must complete a UW-Madison admissions application. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required. To be considered for the Transfer Student Scholarship, you must complete a UW-Madison admissions application and be a US citizen or permanent resident. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required.
How to apply: ["complete UW-Madison admissions application", "activate NetID and password", "FAFSA encouraged (not required)"]
Source ā†—
Engineering Freshman Award
Award
$1,000-$5,000/yr in-state
$1,000-$5,000/yr out-of-state
Award amounts vary and can range from $1000 ā€“ $5000.
Eligibility: To be considered for the Engineering Freshman Award, you MUST complete a UW-Madison admissions application. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required. Students are strongly encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAĀ®), but it is not required. To be considered for a departmental scholarship, you must complete a UW-Madison admissions application. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required. To be considered for the Transfer Student Scholarship, you must complete a UW-Madison admissions application and be a US citizen or permanent resident. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required.
How to apply: ["complete UW-Madison admissions application", "activate NetID and password", "FAFSA encouraged (not required)"]
Source ā†—
LEED Scholars Program
Award
$1,500/yr in-state
$1,500/yr out-of-state
Scholarship awards range from $1,500 to full Wisconsin Resident tuition coverage (per academic year).
Eligibility: To be considered for the Engineering Freshman Award, you MUST complete a UW-Madison admissions application. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required. Students are strongly encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAĀ®), but it is not required. To be considered for a departmental scholarship, you must complete a UW-Madison admissions application. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required. To be considered for the Transfer Student Scholarship, you must complete a UW-Madison admissions application and be a US citizen or permanent resident. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required.
How to apply: ["complete UW-Madison admissions application", "activate NetID and password", "FAFSA encouraged (not required)"]
šŸ“‹ Scholarship awards range from $1,500 to full Wisconsin Resident tuition coverage (per academic year). Renewabl Source ā†—
STAR Scholarship Program
Award
$1,000-$13,500/yr in-state
$1,000-$13,500/yr out-of-state
renewable scholarship for up to eight semesters, with award amounts varying from $1,000 to $13,500 on an annual basis.
Eligibility: To be considered for the Engineering Freshman Award, you MUST complete a UW-Madison admissions application. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required. Students are strongly encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAĀ®), but it is not required. To be considered for a departmental scholarship, you must complete a UW-Madison admissions application. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required. To be considered for the Transfer Student Scholarship, you must complete a UW-Madison admissions application and be a US citizen or permanent resident. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required.
How to apply: ["complete UW-Madison admissions application", "activate NetID and password", "FAFSA encouraged (not required)"]
šŸ“‹ Renewable for up to eight semesters. Source ā†—
Transfer Student Scholarship
Award
$2,000/yr in-state
$2,000/yr out-of-state
The Transfer Student Scholarship is renewable for up to four semesters, with an award amount of $2000 on an annual basis.
Eligibility: To be considered for the Engineering Freshman Award, you MUST complete a UW-Madison admissions application. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required. Students are strongly encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAĀ®), but it is not required. To be considered for a departmental scholarship, you must complete a UW-Madison admissions application. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required. To be considered for the Transfer Student Scholarship, you must complete a UW-Madison admissions application and be a US citizen or permanent resident. Selection is based on studentsā€™ UW admissions application materials; no additional application is required.
How to apply: ["complete UW-Madison admissions application", "activate NetID and password", "FAFSA encouraged (not required)"]
šŸ“‹ Renewable for up to four semesters. Must be a US citizen or permanent resident. Source ā†—

Other scholarships at University of Wisconsin-Madison (1)

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

Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) - General Opportunities
* $1500 * $4,000 for research, outreach, and other scholarship / $1,000 for conference travel or professional development * $100-$1000 * $1,000.00 * $500 * $0.00 * $0.00 * $0.00 * Varies * $7,500.00 * Vaires * $2,000.00 * $2,000.00 * $100-$1000 * $1,500.00 * Varies * $1,000.00 * Varies * $4,000.00 * $2,300.00 * $1,000.00 * Varies * Varies * $2,500.00 * $1,750.00 * Varies * $2,000.00 * Varies * Varies * $12,500.00 * $1000 * Varies * Varies * $7,600.00 * Varies * $5,000.00 * Up to $45,000
Eligibility: Most scholarships for incoming students are automatically offered by [your School/College] based on your application for admission to UW-Madison. However, there are also some program-specific scholarship applications that you may complete if you are eligible and interested. Those applications typically open in October-November and have deadlines in early February, **so donā€™t wait until you know your admission status to apply and be sure to log in to WiSH regularly!** International Student Scholarships While there are not scholarships specifically for international students at UW-Madison, international students are eligible for many scholarships at UWā€“Madison. Like all students, WiSH allows international students to explore the scholarships they are eligible for, be considered for those with automatic offers when their NetID is activated, and apply to any scholarships that require additional information for consideration.
How to apply: ["sign in with NetID and complete General Application", "program-specific scholarship applications (when required)", "activate NetID to be considered for automatic offers"]
Source ā†—

Deadlines that affect merit consideration at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Early Action
11/01/2025
Regular Decision
01/15/2026

Common questions about University of Wisconsin-Madison scholarships

How much merit aid does University of Wisconsin-Madison give?

Published awards range $1,000-$13,500/yr. University of Wisconsin-Madison lists 6 merit scholarships in total.

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

Yes. Awards for out-of-state students run $1,000-$13,500/yr.

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

Not a full ride. The largest published award covers about 33% of tuition.

When is the scholarship deadline at University of Wisconsin-Madison?

Merit consideration usually follows the admission deadline, which is 11/01/2025. Confirm scholarship-specific dates with the financial aid office.

šŸ’” Tip: Award amounts and cutoffs change year to year. Confirm current figures with University of Wisconsin-Madison's financial aid office before making decisions ā€” or check their scholarship page.

More on University of Wisconsin-Madison

Admissions, cost & outcomes ā†’ šŸˆ Athletics & sports šŸ“ All schools in WI šŸ’° Schools with automatic merit

Other WI schools with automatic merit scholarships

Alverno College Milwaukee, WI ā†’ Beloit College Beloit, WI ā†’ Carthage College Kenosha, WI ā†’ Concordia University-Wisconsin Mequon, WI ā†’ Edgewood College Madison, WI ā†’ University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI ā†’ University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI ā†’ University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI ā†’