Scholarships@UW-Madison - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This document addresses some common questions asked regarding the online application process for Scholarships@UW-Madison.

When can I start applying for scholarships?

Undergraduate and graduate students can start applying for scholarships as soon as they have activated their NetID. Because application deadlines vary between scholarships, it is recommended you start checking for scholarships as soon as you have access to avoid missing scholarship opportunities.

Is this the website where I apply for scholarships?

Not necessarily; the public Scholarships@UW-Madison site is simply a list of scholarship opportunities that are available. Many, but not all, scholarships on this site use the Scholarships@UW-Madison Online Application. To apply for a particular scholarship, you will need to refer to the directions given on each School or College's page.

Where can I get more information about a specific scholarship?

Please contact the individual School or College for specific scholarship information. If you are browsing scholarships on the public site, click on the program name that corresponds with a particular scholarship to find additional instructions and contact information for the program. If you are using the online application, go to your "Applications Dashboard" to find contact information for each scholarship you are applying for.

Why don't some of these scholarships have a dollar amount listed?

The scholarship information was prepared by each individual School or College. Please contact them with questions about award amounts.

I was able to login to the "Home" page of the online scholarship application, but I can't find any scholarships. Is there a problem with my account?

All students have access to the main scholarship application page, however, the availability of scholarships is determined by your student status. If you are experiencing issues when attempting to find scholarship applications, you should go to the "Welcome" tab to check your 'Academic Information' and 'Contact Information' to confirm that it is accurate. If you find missing or incorrect information, there may be a problem with your data. To resolve this:
  • If you are a current student, contact your major department or, if undeclared, contact L&S Advising at 608-262-5858 or CCAS at 608-265-5460 as appropriate.
  • If you are an applicant or admitted student, contact the Office of Admissions at 608-262-3961 (Undergraduates) or 608-262-2433 (Graduates).

I have already declared my major with the university, why am I being asked about other programs in the 'Find Scholarship Applications' tool?

While this feature does pull your student information from SIS, some programs have set up their applications to ask all applicants the same set of questions, regardless of your actual enrollment data. This means that you may be asked questions that do not necessarily seem relevant to you.

I was interested in applying for a scholarship that I saw when browsing, but it didn't appear when I used the 'Find Scholarship Applications' feature. Does this mean I can't apply for it?

Because the 'Find Scholarship Applications' tool uses your student information from SIS, there may be requirements for a given scholarship that you didn't meet. If you believe you should be eligible for a scholarship or have questions about the requirements, you should contact the School or College offering the scholarship for more information.

Why hasn't my recommender received the request I emailed to him/her through the online application?

Depending on the email address being used by your recommender, the email request may be incorrectly marked as spam or fail to be delivered altogether. This can be an issue for undergraduate applicants in particular, as many high school email domains do not accept external mail of this nature.
If your recommender did not receive your request email, re-enter the recommendation section of your online scholarship application and try re-sending the request to an alternate email address. If this fails, or if your recommender does not have a second email address that can be used, please contact the School or College offering the scholarship to find out how you can proceed with the application.