ABOVE PHOTO: Funds for Wisconsin Scholars scholarship recipient Lilly Gamache. Photo provided by Lilly Gamache.
Two hundred University of Wisconsin-Stout students recently received nearly $1 million in grants through the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars nonprofit foundation.
They celebrated a moment of gratitude and financial relief at a reception with other Universities of Wisconsin students, hosted at UW-Stout on April 8. Recipients are awarded $2,500 a semester, for up to eight to 10 semesters.
With tuition at about $11,000 a year for in-state students at UW-Stout, not including room and board, the FWSS scholarship covers nearly half of a student’s annual tuition.
FFWS recipient Lilly Gamache, of Superior, thinks the scholarship allows her to “excel in and outside of the classroom. Sometimes the financial burden of college can have a negative impact while trying to study at a higher education institution, but this scholarship helps me and other scholars study and succeed with more confidence.”
She is now among the more than 1,200 UW-Stout students this academic year who have been awarded scholarships, including those who have received nearly $1.4 million in University Foundation scholarships, reflecting their dedication to their fields of study and promise in their future careers.
FFWS aims to increase the number of college graduates in Wisconsin by helping to make higher education more accessible and affordable through grants awarded to selected UW four-year college students. It was established in 2007 by philanthropic leaders and visionaries John and Tashia Morgridge.
“Many students come from families unfamiliar with the demands of college or may come from school districts that did not prepare them for the rigors of college classes. Our wish for the students is that a college education will enhance their lives and give them greater lifelong options and opportunities,” the Morgridges said.
FFWS alum Simon Brown called the program transformative. “It is the reason that I was not only able to afford school and graduate, but it was also the reason that I was able to have the ‘college experience’ without having to worry about working to pay my tuition,” he said. Brown, an office manager in UW-Stout’s Advisement Center, earned his applied social science degree in 2022.
FFWS also has a peer mentor program on each UW campus, where junior and senior scholarship recipients serve as mentors for new scholars.
As a peer mentor, Gamache enjoys connecting with the other recipients. “Being a part of this program creates a sense of community. I find it rewarding to be able to be a peer mentor, where I can build relationships, learn and push students to be their best selves,” she said.
UW-Stout Academic Advisor Jamie Arenz is the peer mentor supervisor on campus. “I am amazed by what this program does and how it helps students. Students are able to focus on their academics and not worry about money,” he said.
FFWS is open to all students who meet the program requirements, following initial and continued eligibility. Funding is distributed through financial aid offices in the Universities of Wisconsin to students randomly selected from Pell Grant recipients who attended a Wisconsin public high school.
