Wisconsin Student Grants for College

Fund Your Education with Free Grant Money

Making the decision to further one's education by attending college is a great decision for anyone to make.

Attending college can help secure a bright and stable future, complete with financial stability. Rising costs of attending a higher education program can deter many prospective students from even applying for college.

However, the state of Wisconsin offers several different grants that can help ease the burden of attending college and drastically reduce the costs of attending, making it more feasible for all who wish to further their education.

Grants & Scholarships

Grants are similar to scholarships, however, they may be more useful than a scholarship. Grants are available for those who meet certain financial guidelines, though preference is given to those who demonstrate a greater need for the grant money, such as minorities, single mothers, or domestic violence victims.

They are usually provided by a non profit organization, though not always, through the state government. Grants offer more flexibilty than a scholarship in the way the funds may be used.

For example, a scholarship may pay for cost of living while a grant can be used for school supplies or food.

Finding Grants in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Higher Education Board offers grants to those attending most state universities. These grants are also available to students attending private colleges in the state, however, the amount is determined by the availability of funds, with a $250 minimum.

Finding these grants can be difficult. This article can help ease the process of finding these grants in the state of Wisconsin.

Here you will learn about some of the many available grants, as well as the requirements for each and how to apply for the grant. Meritbased Academic Excellence Scholarships are designed to reward students whose dedication to their schooling has earned them accolades in the form of grant money.

Full time enrollment in any state college is acceptable under this grant. A student may receive a grant of up to $2,200.

Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium

This is a grant for students enrolled in an undergraduate program pursing a aerospace science degree. This can include physics, chemistry, biology, economics, business, and art. Up to $1,500 per academic year is awarded to students meeting the following requirements:

Must be a resident of the state of Wisconsin
Must be at least 18 years of age
Must be an entering freshman
High school GPA must be between 3.5 and 4.0
Minimum ACT composite test score of 25, or 1500 for SAT

Wisconsin Higher Education Grant

WHEG are provided for students enrolled in an undergraduate program at specified schools. The maximum amount of the award is $3,000 per academic school year. Requirements for this grant include:

Must be a Wisconsin resident
Must be enrolled at least half time in a degree or certificate program
Must attend the University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Technical College, or a Tribal Institution

To apply for this grant, visit the state financial aid assistance web site at http://heab.state.wi.us/appinfo.html. This site offers contact information for each eligible school in the state. In addition to applying at the college, grants must be applied for on the FAFSA(Free Application for Student Aid).

Talent Incentive Program Grant

The TIP grant is awarded to the most financially needing students, as well as those with economical disadvantages, in the state. The initial award amount varies between $600 and $1,800, with a maximum of $250 for the continuation award. Requirements to receive this grant are:

Must be a resident of the state of Wisconsin
Must be nominated by the school's Financial Aid office
Must be a firsttime freshman
To receive the continuation award, financial need must be demonstrated.
The grant can not exceed $1,800 annually.

This grant must also be applied for through the school's Financial Aid office, as well as on the FAFSA.

Federal Pell Grant

A federal grant program that most people are aware of is the Pell Grant. The Pell Grant is available in the state of Wisconsin to eligible students. Eligible students can receive up to $5,500 per academic semester in Pell Grant funds. For a student to receive a Pell Grant, the following requirements must be met:

Must demonstrate a need for the award
Must be a U.S. citizen
Have a valid social security number
Show academic progress

Applying for a Pell Grant can be done with the assistance of the Financial Aid office at your college of choice. It should also be applied for on the FAFSA. As stated above, minorities have an array of Wisconsin grants available to them. Just about anyone can be considered a minority, depending on the college that has been chosen.

Lawton Grant

A Lawton Grant is one such grant deemed for minorities. Students can receive up to $2,500 per year as an award in the Lawton Grant for up to 8 semesters, or $10,000, whichever comes first. Requirements for receiving a Lawton Grant are:

Must have already applied for Financial Aid
Be a resident of Wisconsin or Minnesota
Be of African American, Asian, Hispanic, or American Indian statutory
Have an established financial need for the award
Must be a Junior or Senior Business Student
A minimum of a 2.0 GPA for the previous semester
Must complete at least 6 credits per term

Minority students should also consider the Minority Undergraduate Retention Grant, the Indian Student Assistance Grant, and the Female Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Grant.

Hearing and Visually Handicapped Student Grant

This grant can be used at either in state or out of state universities. It is intended for those who suffer from severe hearing and/or visual impairments that make attending a college a barrier for them. Up to $1,800 per academic school year is awarded under this grant. Requirements include:

Proof of Disability
Be at least 18 years of age
Have proven need for financial assistance
Enrolled at least part time in a school
Prove the need for continuation of the grant

This grant is available to students for up to 10 semesters. A grant for students enrolled in a private college is the Wisconsin Tuition Grant. A bit of information about the grant

Wisconsin Tuition Grant

To be eligible for a WTG, students must be enrolled at a private higher learning institution. The award amount is based on financial need, with a minimum amount of $250, with maximum amounts varying based on funding. Other requirements include:

Can not exceed 10 semesters
Must have applied for other forms of Financial Aid assitance
Have a need for the award
U.S. citizen
Resident of the state of Wisconsin
Enrolled at least half time in an approved school

Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Program

This grant is given to members of the National Guard who meet certain qualifications.

Must be a member of the Wisconsin National Guard
Must be working towards a Baccalaureate degree

The award can be given to students for up to 8 semesters.

Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant

Another grant for military is the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. This grant is new for the 201011 term. This grant amount can be up to $5,500. Students applying for this grant do have several requirements that must be met.

Must have applied for a Pell Grant and been denied
Parents must have died as a result of war in Iraq/Afghanistan after September 11, 2001
Must have been enrolled in college part time at the time of death
Must be 24 years of age or under
U.S.Citizen

FSEOG Grant Program

This grant is available to Pell Grant recipient who demonstrate the greatest financial need. Between $100 and $4,000 is allocated for eligible students receiving this grant award. To receive the FSEOG grant the following requirements must be met:

U.S. Citizen
Demonstrated high financial need for the award
Applied for and received a Pell Grant
18 years of age or older

TEACH Grant Program

For Wisconsin students pursuing a teaching degree in a public or private school system that teaches lowincome students, the TEACH Grant offers up to $4,000 in award assistance. This grant was established in 2007. To apply for a TEACH Grant, the following requirements must be met:

Must agree to serve as a full time teacher in a high needs school
Must provide 4 years of service within an 8 year time frame at the school
Must be a U.S. Citizen
Be enrolled as an undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, or graduate student in a post secondary educational institution that participates in the TEACH Grant Program.
Sign a TEACH service agreement
Score a 75% or better on a college admissions test

SMART Grant

The SMART Grant is a grant available to juniors and seniors in college.

Students wishing to receive a SMART Grant must be majoring in physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, engineering or a critical foreign language; or nonmajor single liberal arts program. Other requirements include:

Must be a U.S. citizen
Must have been approved for a Federal Pell Grant
Must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher prior to receiving the grant
Ability to maintain GPA of 3.0 or higher after receiving grant

This grant awards amounts of up to $4,000 for each of the two final years for eligible students. As you can see, there is no shortage of terrific grants for Wisconsin residents.

This list is just a partial listing of the grants; there are dozens more grants available for a variety of circumstances. Grants are there to help those wishing to attend college. If you are eligible for a grant, be sure to apply for award.