As the Spring semester begins, it serves as a reminder that the 2025/2026 academic session will soon be knocking on our doors. This proximity comes with its own list of things to do, specifically applying for scholarships to alleviate the financial burdens of the next academic session.
A Campus Connection article revealed that about 14% of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students participated in a National Student Financial Wellness Study (NSFWS) survey, with almost 60% of UWL survey-takers responding that they worry about having enough money to pay for school.
Besides offering its financial literacy program, It Make$ Cents!, UWL also provides scholarships through the UW-La Crosse Foundation, awarding over $500,000 in scholarship money each year.
This scholarship platform is specifically for UWL students including transfer and graduate students, which limits the scholarship pool and increases applicants’ chances of receiving a scholarship award.
The UWL Foundation was incorporated in 1967 and is a separate and independent corporate entity from the university.
According to the Alumni & Friends Foundation website, part of its mission is to promote the welfare of UWL through charitable and educational activities that include encouraging, soliciting, receiving, managing and administering gifts from alumni, friends, businesses and other organizations to support scholarships, awards, grants, projects and programs that advance the mission of the university.
Students can apply on the UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation Scholarship website from as early as October 1st.
Available scholarships cover a diverse range of interests and qualifications. These include merit-based scholarships, need-based scholarships, major/minor-specific scholarships, scholarships for international students, study abroad scholarships, non-traditional student scholarships, minority scholarships, sorority/fraternity scholarships, research scholarships, scholarships for entrepreneurs and more.
Before applying, you have to sign into the system/website using your UWL NET ID and password (Do not include @uwlax.edu as part of your username).
After signing in, you will then be asked to complete your general application. This step is very important as the general application gives you access to apply for all the scholarships and in some cases is the only requirement to apply for certain scholarships (You can find the words “No Action Needed” in their action columns).
You must apply for scholarships based on what your class level will be for the upcoming academic year and not what it currently is at the time of writing the applications (graduating seniors are eligible to apply for certain graduating senior scholarships if requirements are met).
Use filters to narrow down the options in your search for the most suitable scholarships for you. Looking up your major, minor or clubs that you are a part of is most effective.
Some scholarships will require more than the general application and it is important that you look out for and complete these additional actions.
Sometimes you may be asked for recommendation contacts or letters. These can vary from UWL professors to non-family members. Regarding professors, scholarships often advise you to inform your preferred professors that you want to send their contact out for a recommendation before doing so.
Other scholarships depending on their purpose may ask for a need statement, a variety of extra essays, resumes, research proposals or business plans.
The key is to finish the scholarships that only require the general application before writing the applications with additional requirements as you will need to spend a considerable amount of time on those.
The UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation Scholarship website also has a feature that allows you to view donor profiles, where you can learn more about the benefactors of the scholarships you’re applying for. This can be found under the Donors tab.
The Foundation Scholarships’ deadline is February 1st. For additional questions, you can contact Foundation Scholarship Coordinator, Callie Smith at [email protected].
