Fellowship Administration

The UW System sets the eligibility criteria for the Advanced Opportunity Program and provides funding to the UW–Madison Graduate School who works with school/college administrative contacts to award to eligible graduate students. 

Advanced Opportunity Fellowship (AOF) Criteria

AOFs are competitive and merit-based. At a minimum, to be considered for AOF funding, students must be United States citizens or permanent residents and be admissible to a graduate program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (students on probation cannot receive AOF funding). Beyond merit, preference is given to Wisconsin residents. Applicants should meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. McNair students: students who participated in a Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program; AND/OR

2. Students from the following racial/ethnic groups: a) African American or Black; b) American Indian or Alaskan Native; c) Hispanic/Latino; d) Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian, or Hmong; e) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; AND/OR

3. Economically disadvantaged students: a) first-generation college students who participated in one of the following TRIO programs: Upward Bound, Talent Search, Educational Opportunities Centers, or Student Support Services; b) first-generation college students who graduated from the PEOPLE Program; or c) UW–Madison bachelor's degree recipients who were in the FASTrack or BANNER programs.

Incoming students who are AOF-eligible will be identified in the Application Review System once the student has been fully admitted to UW-Madison Graduate School. Graduate programs who wish to nominate a student for a AOF Fellowship should consult with the appropriate contacts below regarding the timeline and process for nominations, offers, and awards.