The Law School Admissions and Financial Aid Office awards scholarships based on a variety of criteria, such as merit, need, academic background, personal qualifications, or some combination depending on the individual scholarship.
Please visit the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) to learn more about our scholarships and generous donors who make them possible.
Contact the Law School Admissions and Financial Aid Office at financialaid@law.wisc.edu with any questions about law school scholarships and/or your specific scholarship.
Incoming Students
Do I need to apply for law school scholarships?
After you submit your law school application, you will be invited to complete our scholarship application. You are not required to complete the scholarship application to be considered for law school scholarships, but we strongly recommend it.
The Admissions Committee automatically considers admitted students for law school scholarships based on their law school application and scholarship application.
When should I expect to receive a scholarship offer?
If you are admitted before January 15 and selected to receive a law school scholarship, you will receive a scholarship offer via email by February 1.
If you are admitted after January 15 and selected to receive a law school scholarship, you will receive a scholarship offer within 2-3 weeks of admittance.
Current Students
How do I apply for new or increased scholarship assistance?
After all of your grades have been reported for the most recently completed academic year, you may submit a request to the Law School Admissions and Financial Aid Office to be considered for new or increased scholarship assistance for the upcoming academic year. Your request must be submitted by June 28.
Your request must be submitted through the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub by completing the New or Increased Scholarship Assistance Application. This link will be updated annually in June with the new application for the upcoming year. You will be required to upload the following materials with your request:
- A letter explaining your request;
- An unofficial law school transcript, which must include grades for all courses taken during the most recently completed academic year; and,
- An updated resume.
Please note that in order to be eligible for New or Increased Scholarship Assistance, a student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) for the academic year for which they are applying.
Funding for new or increased scholarship assistance varies from year to year. Historically, not every student has received an award, and for students who do receive new or additional funding the average amount is $1,000. With limited funding, priority will be given to students who do not currently have scholarships through the law school and those with highest need. When reviewing students' applications for new or additional funding, we will take into account factors such as students' summer employment, whether the student is receiving financial support from family, whether the student is receiving external scholarship funding, and whether the student was eligible for a Federal Pell Grant as an undergraduate student.
Are there opportunities to apply for scholarships throughout the year?
Yes. We will notify you via email and through the SBA Announcements every fall and spring semester when applications open for various scholarships that our office administers. These scholarship applications will be posted on the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) once available.
Other UW-Madison schools, colleges, and departments also post scholarships in WiSH, and some of these scholarships are open to law students. Log into WiSH and complete the General Application to see whether you are eligible to apply for any of these scholarships. We recommend that you check WiSH regularly, as new scholarships are posted often.
Many law students apply for funding from external sources to help pay for their educational expenses. To assist you in locating external sources of funding, we have compiled this list of scholarships available to law students from other organizations. If you have questions about a particular scholarship, please contact the organization’s point of contact directly. The Law School does not endorse these scholarships or the organizations that offer them.
Is my scholarship funded by a law school donor? If so, how can I thank my scholarship donor?
We will contact you after classes begin in the fall if a private donor funds your scholarship, and/or if you are receiving a named scholarship. Please visit the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) for more information about our named scholarships funded by donors.
Scholarship donors appreciate well-written thank you notes. Your note is a meaningful reminder to your donor that their generosity makes a difference. If your scholarship has a living donor, we will contact you to write a thank you note and provide you with stationery.
How might changes in my education or finances affect my scholarship?
Please notify our office immediately if any of these scenarios arise:
- Receiving another scholarship, fellowship, or grant
- Receiving a Graduate Assistantship (e.g., teaching, research, project/program assistantship) at UW-Madison
- Enrolling part-time
- Studying abroad
- Taking a leave of absence
- Enrolling as a visiting student at another institution
We will explain any impact they may have on your particular scholarship.
Scholarship Opportunities
Other Scholarship Resources
Law School Scholarship Policies and Information
We understand that financial aid can be complicated, and we are here to help. If you have any questions about your scholarship award, or other financial aid issues, please don't hesitate to contact the Law School Admissions and Financial Aid Office. We would be happy to meet with you to go over the details of your award.
Your scholarship letter will contain details about your specific scholarship award, and any special criteria or policies that apply to your award. If your scholarship letter contains more specific or conflicting criteria from that explained here, you should abide by the criteria contained in that letter.
In order to remain eligible for law school scholarships, you must remain enrolled full-time at the University of Wisconsin Law School, maintain satisfactory academic progress, and remain in good professional standing.
Full-time enrollment at the University of Wisconsin Law School requires a minimum of 12 credits per semester. If you enroll in fewer than 12 credits, you may not be eligible to receive your award in that semester or your award may be pro-rated. Visiting students or students not enrolled at the Law School during a given semester are not eligible to receive their scholarships.
Scholarships at the Law School require that the recipient maintain a 2.0 GPA. Your GPA will be reviewed at the end of each semester, regardless of your credit load, and if you fall below the required threshold, you will be notified, and your scholarship may be revoked.
To remain in good professional standing, you must maintain responsible and ethical conduct in accordance with University and Law School policies. If you do not abide by University or Law School policies, including for example engaging in academic or nonacademic misconduct, your scholarship may be revoked.
Except in unusual circumstances, the Law School will award scholarship aid only up to a student’s total cost of attendance. When reviewing your scholarship eligibility, we will consider other scholarship aid you are receiving, in addition to other fellowships and assistantships. If you receive any other scholarships, fellowships or assistantships from the university, you must notify the Law School Admissions and Financial Aid Office.
In general, law school scholarships are disbursed in the fall and spring semesters only. A disbursement schedule for your particular scholarship award will be included in your scholarship award letter. If you have any questions about the disbursement schedule for your award, please contact the Law School Admissions and Financial Aid Office.
Studying abroad may impact your scholarship, depending on the type of scholarship you receive and the study abroad program. Please contact the Law School Admissions and Financial Aid Office if you plan to study abroad.
Depending on the amount and type of your scholarship, there may be tax implications to your award. Please refer to the IRS website or your tax professional for further information.
What Happens if I Fail to Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress?
Scholarships offered by the University of Wisconsin Law School require that a student maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, which requires a minimum GPA of 2.0.
For students who fall below the required GPA threshold, the following process applies:
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When a first-year student has a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 following their first semester of law school, that student will receive a warning via email from the Associate Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid. That student will retain their scholarship for the Spring semester of their first year, provided the student continues to meet all other eligibility requirements. If the student has a cumulative GPA above 2.0 following the Spring semester of their first year, they will retain their scholarship, again provided the student continues to meet all other eligibility requirements. If the student’s GPA remains below 2.0 following the Spring semester of their first year, their scholarship will be revoked.
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If a student’s GPA drops below 2.0 at any time after the students first semester of law school, the student’s scholarship will immediately be revoked.
- A student whose scholarship has been revoked for failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress may have their scholarship reinstated after bringing their GPA above the 2.0 threshold. However, the student will forfeit the scholarship disbursements allocated for the semester(s) that a student is working toward bringing their GPA above 2.0. A student’s disbursement schedule will not be extended even if their failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress requires the student to continue beyond the semesters contemplated at the time of the original scholarship award.
Tuition & Financial Aid Pages
Office of Student Financial Aid
333 East Campus Mall #9701, Madison, WI 53715
608-262-3060
Law School Admissions & Financial Aid Office
975 Bascom Mall, Room 6210, Madison, WI 53706
608-262-5914
