Physical Education Teaching

Financial aid

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Financial assistance for graduate students

UWL will pay the graduate school application fee for McNair Scholars. To receive this benefit, request an application fee payment form from your undergraduate McNair Scholars office, or download a copy. Email your completed form directly to admissions@uwlax.edu or mail it to the address below.

Then, when completing the UW System application, simply skip the application fee payment section. Once we receive your form, your application will be updated in our system to confirm the payment requirement has been completed.

Graduate Admissions Office
1725 State Street
La Crosse, WI 54601

McNair Fee Waiver Application

AOP Grants recognize strong academic achievement and potential among newly admitted or continuing students who show financial need. These grants provide graduate tuition support for eligible Wisconsin residents for tuition purposes from traditionally underrepresented minority and non-minority groups (African American, American Indian, Latinx, designated Southeast Asian) and/or economically disadvantaged students in advanced degree programs. Award recipients must be US citizens or permanent residents. Finally, AOP awards are competitive and need-based (FAFSA required).

Receiving an AOP award will require Wisconsin residency for tuition purposes, so please be sure to answer the eApp questions related to residency very carefully if you intend to apply for AOP.

AOP applications will be accepted starting in October of each academic year and evaluated in March; notifications of awards will typically be sent by late March, although any delays in the FAFSA system will delay this timeline. Contact Graduate & Extended Learning for more information.

Graduate Assistantships (GAs) are a type of campus employment that are available only for graduate students. Most GAs are 9-month positions, scheduled for 20 or 14 hours a week.

Salaries are set at approximately $15,000 for a half-time (20-hour per week) position, $9,900 for a one-third time (~14-hour per week) position, and adjusted accordingly for shorter work assignments. In general, GA positions do not include a fee remission.

GAs working 14+ hours a week are eligible for health insurance benefits; for details, visit the UWL Employee Resources website. In addition to the GA positions offered by your program (see information below), GA positions are also available in some other campus offices. Email gradstudies@uwlax.edu for more information.

There are several GA positions offered within the Graduate Physical Education Teaching program. Please reach out to the Graduate Program Director for more information on how to apply. See the section above for more general information about GA positions at UWL.

Fitness/Health Promotion (HPR) general education course GA
Teach lab/activity sessions for HPR or other ESS 100 level courses and assist in classroom activities

Conduct health-related fitness tests

Must demonstrate a strong health-related fitness background

Physical Education Pedagogy Laboratory GA
Work with physical education teacher candidates in PK-12 schools or alternative settings (e.g., homeschool), with supervision from faculty lab director

Provide feedback to preservice PE teachers in a Professional Development School model

Provide oversight of lab resources

Must possess current physical education teaching certification/licensure

Adapted Physical Education Emphasis GA
Several assistantships are available specifically for graduate students admitted to the APE Emphasis

*The GA positions stated above will also teach up to two contact hours in ESS 100 level undergraduate activity courses or HPR labs

Elementary/Secondary Physical Education GA
Plan and implement developmental instructional program in local elementary schools

Assist faculty with clinical supervision of undergraduate physical education teaching major

Must possess current physical education teaching certification by GA starting date (mid-August)

Adventure Education and Outdoor Pursuits Emphasis GA
Teach undergraduate adventure education & outdoor pursuits activity courses (e.g., rock climbing, backpacking, canoeing, mountain biking, etc.)

Facilitate challenge course and indoor rocking climbing experiences for community groups and First Flight programming

Assist with First Flight, and outdoor orientational transition program for incoming freshman (mid-late August)

Graduate students are eligible for part-time employment as student workers, the same as undergraduate students. Graduate students are encouraged to carefully consider the timing and workload of employment, to ensure their academic success.

Student Employment does not make you eligible for health insurance through the university. Student employment positions are paid hourly, and the rate of pay differs across positions. Open positions are listed online in Handshake.

APE fellowship* requirements:

Full-time enrollment in program (includes the Summer only option)
Physical education teaching certification (prior to program acceptance)
Successful academic and practicum performance while in program
Commitment to teach APE for specified length of time after program completion
- Failure to meet time sensitive APE teaching requirements will require repayment of these funds to the U.S. Department of Education – Office of Special Education Programs

*APE Fellowships are reliant on the availability of funding from the U.S. Department of Education. Not all students enrolled in our APE graduate program receive financial assistance.

For more information or to initiate a fellowship application:

Contact Dr. Brock McMullen
- Fellowship opportunities are limited; reach out to us as soon as you begin your application to the program.

Non-resident tuition waivers are available for students in many UWL graduate programs. They recognize strong academic achievement and potential among newly admitted or continuing graduate students who are non-residents for tuition purposes. If you are considering applying to UWL, please contact your program's graduate program director ASAP for more information.

All students, including those who receive non-resident tuition waivers, must pay in-state tuition and fees.

Note: Minnesota residents may qualify for lower than regular non-resident tuition rates at UW-La Crosse, due to the reciprocity agreement between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Information about how to apply is available on the Financial Aid Office's Minnesota reciprocity webpage. If you are starting in the summer, apply for reciprocity for both the current and the upcoming school year.

You can explore scholarship resources linked below. You must complete the FAFSA to be considered for some of these scholarships.

Student veterans and students who are the dependents of veterans (child or spouse) may be eligible for veteran educational benefits. These can provide significant financial assistance towards educational expenses. The UWL Veteran Services office can help you with educational benefits, as well as with other aspects of the transition from military to university life.

Some veteran educational benefits require Wisconsin residency for tuition purposes, so be sure to answer eApp questions related to residency very carefully if you intend to use veteran benefits to help fund your graduate studies.

Veteran Services

Graduate students may be eligible to borrow under the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and/or the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan programs to assist with the cost of their attendance. Both programs require a completed FAFSA. Students who anticipate working in health, education, public service and/or non-profit fields should also understand options for Student Loan Forgiveness.

While UWL encourages students to borrow only ‘what they need,’ loans can ease the burden of paying for graduate education and may be a worthwhile investment. Connect with the Financial Aid Office to learn more.

Financial Aid

Students who need additional funds for education, beyond what was awarded on their financial aid award letter, might consider a private student loan. These loans are private educational loans from a lender and are not guaranteed by the federal government. Approval of a private student loan is based on creditworthiness. Most students will require a co-signer.

Private student loans

UWL employees should inquire about the possibility of the Employee Educational Assistance Program covering parts of tuition. Employees must be in at least 0.50 FTE positions. Graduate assistants are not covered by this policy.

Employee education assistance program

The Office of Student Life has compiled a wide range of resources related to supporting students facing financial difficulties and other challenges. Many of these apply most directly to on-campus students. There are also emergency funds available to support students impacted by COVID-19, whether they are enrolled in on-campus, online, or hybrid programs.

UWL emergency resources

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