https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/Campus ConnectionPosts tagged with 'Financial Aid':2024-01-23T15:59:36.9Zhttps://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/apply-for-the-fafsa/Apply for the FAFSA2024-01-23T15:59:36.9Z2024-01-23T15:59:36.9ZKjerstin Langhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/klang/klang@uwlax.edu
<div class ="entry-content">
<script>
window.location = "https://www.uwlax.edu/college-tips/how-to-pay-for-college/";
</script>
</div>
<span class="section photo">
<span class="photo-ratio display-block">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2020-uwl-it-makes-cents-peer-mentors-3.jpg/Medium" alt="A peer mentor works with a UW-La Crosse student as part of the It Make$ Cents financial literacy program that aims to addresses financial concerns of students that are unique to college life. Photo taken in early 2020." />
</span>
</span>
<span class="section details">
<span class="title">Apply for the FAFSA</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">3:59 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Tuesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Jan.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>23</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2024</span></span>
<span class="subhead">
<span>
Find out how much of your education could be covered by grants, loans and other aid
</span>
</span>
<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about Apply for the FAFSA</span></span>
</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/help-students-meet-needs/Help students meet needs2023-11-09T09:45:17.603Z2023-11-09T09:45:17.603ZKjerstin Langhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/klang/klang@uwlax.edu
<div class="post-content">
<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">9:45 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Nov.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>9</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2023</span></p>
<figure class="feature-photo">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2019-uwl-campus-threads-0017.jpg/Large" alt="" />
<figcaption>UWL offers other services to help students in need such as Campus Thread, UWL's free clothing closet, now located inside the Center for Transformative Justice.</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3>Join Eagles Helping Eagles to help students with necessities from warm coats to pots and pans </h3>
<p>It is difficult to focus on getting a college education when your basic needs aren't being met. &nbsp;</p><p>The UW-La Crosse group, Eagles Helping Eagles, aims to help college students meet those basic needs, so they can focus on their studies and future. The group is looking for new members from the campus and wider La Crosse area community. &nbsp;</p><p><a data-mce-href="/student-life/student-resources/eagles-helping-eagles/" href="/student-life/student-resources/eagles-helping-eagles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eagles Helping Eagles</a> members are emailed when specific student needs are discovered. These needs go beyond basics of food and shelter to provide specific items that some students cannot afford such as sheets, blankets, winter clothes, furniture and more. Both new and used items are accepted. &nbsp;</p><p>“My goal is to have a list of individuals, both inside and outside of UWL, who are interested in being part of this giving opportunity,” says Amanda Gasper, UWL’s financial literacy coordinator who spearheads the program. “Their role would be helping track down new or used items and/or spreading the word to get them.”&nbsp;</p><p>Gasper plans to share requests with the Eagles Helping Eagles group via email as student requests are collected. As winter nears, those requests are already coming in for items such as coats, boots and gloves. While these may seem like things that are easy to find and purchase, for college students trying to make ends meet, the purchases could make or break a really tight budget, explains Gasper. &nbsp;</p><p>Eagles Helping Eagles originally launched in 2020, modeled after the La Crosse Tribune's 'For Goodness Sakes' series.&nbsp;</p><h3>Request an item</h3><p>Requests for items by students, or faculty and staff on their behalf, are submitted via an online survey.</p><p><strong><a data-mce-href="https://forms.gle/unVZhX8JMYUDcSvf6" href="https://forms.gle/unVZhX8JMYUDcSvf6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Student requests&nbsp;&nbsp;</a></strong></p><p><strong><a data-mce-href="https://forms.gle/suBuN1YA7yvDRtBv8" href="https://forms.gle/suBuN1YA7yvDRtBv8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Faculty or staff requests (on behalf of students)</a></strong></p><p>It Make$ Cents staff coordinate pickup and delivery. &nbsp;</p><h3>How do I join?&nbsp;</h3><p>To join the group contact Gasper at agasper@uwlax.edu. &nbsp;</p><h3>Other UWL services for students &nbsp;</h3><p>Campus Thread: Campus Thread is UW’s UWL's free clothing closet, located in the Center for Transformative Justice (CTJ) and Career Services (career clothing only). The store offers free gently used clothing for students from all three higher ed campuses in La Crosse.&nbsp;</p><p>Campus Food Pantry: The Campus Food Pantry is available to all UWL students, faculty, and staff and is open whenever the Student Union is open. A registration form must be filled out to access it. &nbsp;</p><p><a data-mce-href="/student-life/emergency-resources/" href="/student-life/emergency-resources/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See other student resources.</a>&nbsp;</p>
</div>
<span class="section photo">
<span class="photo-ratio display-block">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2019-uwl-campus-threads-0017.jpg/Medium" alt="UWL offers other services to help students in need such as Campus Thread, UWL's free clothing closet, now located inside the Center for Transformative Justice." />
</span>
</span>
<span class="section details">
<span class="title">Help students meet needs</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">9:45 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Nov.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>9</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2023</span></span>
<span class="subhead">
<span>
Join Eagles Helping Eagles to help students with necessities from warm coats to pots and pans 
</span>
</span>
<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about Help students meet needs</span></span>
</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/apply-for-scholarships2/Apply for scholarships2023-10-09T15:03:25.793Z2023-10-09T15:03:25.793ZKjerstin Langhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/klang/klang@uwlax.edu
<div class ="entry-content">
<script>
window.location = "https://www.uwlax.edu/college-tips/how-to-apply-for-college-scholarships/";
</script>
</div>
<span class="section photo">
<span class="photo-ratio display-block">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/large26.jpg/Medium" alt="Image with cash and coins." />
</span>
</span>
<span class="section details">
<span class="title">Apply for scholarships</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">3:03 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Monday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Oct.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>9</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2023</span></span>
<span class="subhead">
<span>
Tips on how to search and apply for scholarships. UWL Foundation scholarship applications opened Oct. 1
</span>
</span>
<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about Apply for scholarships</span></span>
</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/title-iii-granted/Title III granted2023-04-27T13:43:16.803Z2023-05-01T07:00:00ZYoo Mee Howardhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/yhoward/yhoward@uwlax.edu
<div class="post-content">
<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">7 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Monday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>May</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>1</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2023</span></p>
<figure class="feature-photo">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2022-uwl-student-support-services-signage-0003.jpg/Large" alt="" />
<figcaption>Students served by Student Support Services are among the approximately 600 benefitting from the university’s Title III designation.</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3>Designation benefits students</h3>
<p>A recently granted Title III designation means more resources and opportunities for UWL students.</p><p>The university received notification of eligibility for a waiver of the non-federal share matching requirements that applies for a one-year period beginning July 1, 2023. Title III is part of the Higher Education Act aiming to ensure students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds have&nbsp;equal access to higher education resources.</p><p>“The Title III waiver is a critical component of UWL’s commitment to its core values of diversity, equity and inclusion, helping to level the playing field and keep resources available for those students who most need them,” says <a data-mce-href="/profile/lfannin/" href="/profile/lfannin/">Luke Fannin, interim director of Student Support Services</a>.</p><p>Overall, the designation impacts approximately 600 students annually, including those served by <a data-mce-href="/student-support-services/" href="/student-support-services/">Student Support Services</a>, students receiving an offer of federal work study aid, and those earning a certificate in <a data-mce-href="/global-cultures-and-languages/languages/russian/" href="/global-cultures-and-languages/languages/russian/">Russian Studies</a>.</p><p>The Title III designation provides a waiver of non-federal matching requirements for several programs. This, in turn, enables UWL to further extend the resources of the TRIO-funded Student Support Services (SSS) program.</p><p>UWL’s SSS program has been serving first-generation college students, students from low-income households and students with disabilities for more than 40 years. The program provides access to professional advising, tutoring, professional skill development, financial assistance and more.</p><p>The waiver also applies to <a data-mce-href="/finaid/info/student-employment/#tm-150661" href="/finaid/info/student-employment/#tm-150661" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">UWL’s Federal Work Study Program</a> and Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant Program funding, which translates to more university resources being available to provide students with paid work experiences on campus.</p><p>The designation also creates additional grant funding opportunities for the university, such as the U.S. Department of Education National Resource Centers Program, which supports advanced Russian language instruction for UWL students in partnership with UW-Madison’s Center for Russia, East Europe and Central Asia.</p>
</div>
<span class="section photo">
<span class="photo-ratio display-block">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2022-uwl-student-support-services-signage-0003.jpg/Medium" alt="Students served by Student Support Services are among the approximately 600 benefitting from the university’s Title III designation." />
</span>
</span>
<span class="section details">
<span class="title">Title III granted</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">7 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Monday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>May</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>1</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2023</span></span>
<span class="subhead">
<span>
Designation benefits students
</span>
</span>
<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about Title III granted</span></span>
</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/financial-favor/Financial favor2023-03-29T15:22:58.503Z2023-03-29T15:22:58.503ZYoo Mee Howardhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/yhoward/yhoward@uwlax.edu
<div class="post-content lists">
<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">3:22 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Wednesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>March</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2023</span></p>
<div class="list-item-0">
<figure class="feature-photo">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2023-uwl-fund-for-wisconsin-scholars-72.jpg/Large" alt="" />
<figcaption>John and Tashia Morgridge, two generous Wisconsin natives who want to heartfully help state students from low-income households, have created a need-based grant program for Wisconsin college students. Some of the 212 UWL students who received grants totaling nearly $1 million for the 2022-23 school year got to meet the couple during a luncheon on campus.</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 class="tagline">Scholar fund helping deserving students pay for college, find success</h3>
<p>When many UW System students get an email from the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars, they think it’s a scam. Thankfully, most follow up with a UW Financial Aid Office and find out it’s not. The grants currently valued at $4,500 per year for up to five years from the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars is real money. It’s provided from John and Tashia Morgridge, two generous Wisconsin natives who want to heartfully help state students from low-income households.</p><p>In 2008, the Morgridges created a need-based grant program for Wisconsin college students. The two Waukesha natives graduated from Waukesha High School and UW-Madison, with Tashia earning an education degree and John, a degree in business.</p><p>The couple attribute much of their career and life success to childhood experiences and education. They believe that increasing the number of Wisconsin citizens with college degrees creates benefits for both the individuals and the state.</p><p>Fund for Wisconsin Scholars (FFWS) recipients have much in common: They are young graduates of Wisconsin public high schools attending a UW System or Wisconsin Technical College System school. With varied backgrounds from the state’s 72 counties, they all have a goal of attaining a college degree. In its first 15 years, the fund has provided more than $112 million to more than 25,000 students statewide.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Some of the 212 UW-La Crosse students who received grants totaling nearly $1 million for the 2022-23 school year got to meet the couple behind the money during a lunch on campus March 22.</p><p>John told recipients that in life, they’ll have opportunities to make decisions, discover some decisions are already made for them, and find opportunity to be random.</p><p>“You’ve been randomly selected. The key is to be prepared and capitalize on it,” John told them. “Our wish is you take advantage of opportunity, make a lot of friends and maybe find a partner and graduate.”</p><p>Tashia encouraged the students to take advantage of learning from professors and other UW staff.</p><p>“Go to class and enjoy it,” she said. “Milk that as much as you can. You’ll probably never be in a situation again in your life where there are so many talented people to help you.”</p>
</div><div class="list-item-1">
<figure class="image-style-e">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2023-uwl-fund-for-wisconsin-scholars-41.jpg/Large" alt="" />
<figcaption>Maysa Osley, left, and UWL Financial Aid Officer Vernell Glenn. Osley, a junior from Holmen majoring in philosophy and English, serves as a grant recipient and a peer mentor for other campus recipients of the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars. Glenn has worked with students who have received grants from the fund. </figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a data-mce-href="/profile/chayes/" href="/profile/chayes/">Christina Hayes, director of the UWL Financial Aid Office</a>, has worked with students on campus in the program since its inception. She says while the biggest challenge is getting students to believe the program isn’t a scam, once they get in the program, they prosper.</p><p>“It's been a wonderful opportunity for low-income students to reduce the need to borrow higher loan debt,” Hayes explains. “It also increases the opportunity&nbsp;to complete a degree and graduate on time.”</p><p>Hayes says students also benefit because the program assesses their needs and can increase the amount of funding they receive. She says additional summer awards for up to $1,000 further reduces student loan debt.</p><p>Hayes also says adding mentors at each campus has further improved the program by increasing student engagement.</p><p>Maysa Osley, a junior from Holmen majoring in philosophy and English, received the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars grant in fall 2020. Since, she has become a peer mentor for other recipients.</p><p>Like them, Osley thought it was too good to be true when she was awarded the grant. But she says the funding has allowed her to focus on studies instead of constantly worrying about how to afford tuition and other expenses.</p><p>During her freshman year, Osley met with the fund peer mentors on campus and took advantage of activities they planned. She says it was key for her to become more involved in campus life since most classes were remote when she started college due to the pandemic.</p><p>Osley was so energized by the program activities that she asked to be a peer mentor when she discovered her mentors were graduating.</p><p>“Becoming a peer mentor meant not only that I could become more involved in campus life, but that I could give back to the FFWS program that has given so much to me,” she says.</p><p>Through the peer mentoring program, the fund provides each campus with additional monies to organize monthly events for freshman and transfer recipients. At a recent event, Osley and others crafted blankets for the local humane society.</p><p>“Recipients often enjoy service events like these because it allows us all to give back to our community with the resources that the FFWS program provides us,” she explains.</p><p>Other events are more academic-related, like end-of-semester study time that offers quiet study rooms and snack breaks. The events bring recipients together to show them that someone cares and is here for them, Osley notes.</p><p>“It is extremely rewarding to connect with these grant recipients and provide them with the resources that they need to be successful in their college education and life in general,” she says.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p>
</div></div>
<span class="section photo">
<span class="photo-ratio display-block">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2023-uwl-fund-for-wisconsin-scholars-72.jpg/Medium" alt="John and Tashia Morgridge, two generous Wisconsin natives who want to heartfully help state students from low-income households, have created a need-based grant program for Wisconsin college students. Some of the 212 UWL students who received grants totaling nearly $1 million for the 2022-23 school year got to meet the couple during a luncheon on campus." />
</span>
</span>
<span class="section details">
<span class="title">Financial favor</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">3:22 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Wednesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>March</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2023</span></span>
<span class="subhead">
<span>
Scholar fund helping deserving students pay for college, find success
</span>
</span>
<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about Financial favor</span></span>
</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/tuition-promise/Tuition Promise2022-08-16T11:59:28.25Z2022-08-16T11:59:28.25ZKyle Farrishttps://uwlax.edu/profile/kfarris/kfarris@uwlax.edu
<div class="post-content lists">
<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">11:59 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Tuesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Aug.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>16</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2022</span></p>
<div class="list-item-0">
<figure class="feature-photo">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/tuition-promise-feature-photo.jpg/Large" alt="" />
<figcaption>UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow discusses the Tuition Promise program during a news conference Tuesday, Aug. 16. Tuition Promise is a new UW System initiative starting in fall 2023 to ensure underserved Wisconsin students can afford a college education.</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 class="tagline">UW System announces initiative supporting underserved students, families</h3>
<p>University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman has announced the creation of the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, a new initiative starting in fall 2023 to ensure underserved Wisconsin students can attend any UW System university without paying tuition or fees.</p><p>The goal of the program is to increase the number of state residents who graduate with a bachelor’s degree – especially first-generation students and those from low-to-moderate income families throughout Wisconsin – thereby improving individual lives and communities and helping meet the state’s workforce needs.</p><p>“The benefits of a college education are unassailable,” said Rothman, who is introducing the program this week with chancellors across UW System. “A college degree needs to be within reach for every Wisconsin citizen as a path to a better life, and the Wisconsin Tuition Promise will provide these opportunities. It is also how we can close the skills gap that now limits Wisconsin’s potential to thrive in a global economy.”</p>
</div><div class="list-item-1">
<figure class="image-style-c">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2022-tuition-promise_uw-system-president_jay-rothman_0011.jpg/Large" alt="" />
<figcaption>UW System President Jay Rothman says the Tuition Promise program will be key to supporting Wisconsin's workforce needs.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rothman said an estimated 8,000 students will be supported through the program once it is fully implemented over four years. Eligible students will be awarded an average of $4,500 over four years. The UW System intends to fund the first year of the program in academic year 2023-24 at $13.8 million and seek state investment for subsequent years.</p><p>“We are thrilled to offer the Tuition Promise program, which provides much-needed financial support for our future students and families,” said UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow. “At UWL, we believe that if someone has the desire and determination to earn their college degree, the cost of higher education should never stand in the way. This program is an important step toward that reality.”</p><p>“The Tuition Promise will enable even more students to study in our well-established programs and take advantage of our new state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Sesquicentennial Hall engineering building opening this fall,” said UW-Platteville interim Chancellor Tammy Evetovich. “These students will have this access to future success without worrying about affording tuition or the financial impact on their families. The Tuition Promise is a game-changer not only for these students but for Wisconsin as eventually these graduates will contribute significantly to the state workforce as leaders in their fields.”</p><p>Modeled on Bucky’s Tuition Promise at UW-Madison, the Wisconsin Tuition Promise would provide up to four years of tuition and fee funding for students coming from families earning less than $62,000 annually and enrolling at any of the other 12 public universities within the UW System. The program would be structured to provide “last dollar” financial support after federal and state grant aid is accounted for; as a result, Tuition Promise awards will vary.</p><p>Eligible students will be Wisconsin residents, first-time enrollees or transfers, and attending full-time. They will need to make sufficient academic progress each year and attest that they were employed at some point during the previous year.</p>
</div><div class="list-item-2">
<figure class="">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2022-tuition-promise_uwplatteville-interim-chancellor-tammy-evetovich_00072.jpg/Large" alt="" />
<figcaption>UW-Platteville interim Chancellor Tammy Evetovich called the Tuition Promise program a "game-changer" for students, families and the state of Wisconsin.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rothman said the affordability review he sought shows a UW System education is the most affordable in the Midwest and is very affordable nationally compared to peers. However, fewer low-to-moderate-income and first-generation students are attending UW System universities, suggesting that despite a tuition freeze in place since 2013, a state college education is increasingly out of reach for some, he said.</p><p>“Education unlocks success in Wisconsin,” Rothman said. “By ensuring that every Wisconsin student is given the full opportunity to get a higher education, we will improve those lives directly while building the economic engine and community prosperity that benefit all Wisconsinites.”</p><p>Students will be automatically considered for the Wisconsin Tuition Promise when they apply for federal financial aid. A full publicity campaign led by the universities will begin later this fall. Current information can be found at <a href="https://wisconsin.edu/tuition-promise/" data-mce-href="https://wisconsin.edu/tuition-promise/">wisconsin.edu/tuition-promise/</a>.</p>
</div></div>
<span class="section photo">
<span class="photo-ratio display-block">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/tuition-promise-feature-photo.jpg/Medium" alt="UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow discusses the Tuition Promise program during a news conference Tuesday, Aug. 16. Tuition Promise is a new UW System initiative starting in fall 2023 to ensure underserved Wisconsin students can afford a college education." />
</span>
</span>
<span class="section details">
<span class="title">Tuition Promise</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">11:59 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Tuesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Aug.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>16</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2022</span></span>
<span class="subhead">
<span>
UW System announces initiative supporting underserved students, families
</span>
</span>
<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about Tuition Promise</span></span>
</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/another-round-of-relief/Another round of relief2021-09-30T13:25:29.22Z2021-10-01T08:00:00ZKyle Farrishttps://uwlax.edu/profile/kfarris/kfarris@uwlax.edu
<div class="post-content">
<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">8 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Friday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Oct.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>1</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></p>
<figure class="feature-photo">
<img data-src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2019-uwl-fall-student-campus-life-0586.jpg/Large" alt="" class="lazy" />
<figcaption>With its $9.1 million allocation from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) III, UWL is awarding all Federal Pell Grant recipients (as of Sept. 20, 2021) a $2,000 financial aid grant. Grants are also available to non-Pell students through an application process. </figcaption>
</figure>
<h3>UWL to distribute $9.1M in HEERF III grants to students </h3>
<p><span data-contrast="none">A third round of federal relief funding will help UWL students facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">With its $9.1 million allocation from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) III, UWL is awarding all Federal Pell Grant recipients (as of Sept. 20, 2021) a $2,000 financial aid grant. These awards represent $2.8 million and will benefit roughly 1,400 students.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">UWL’s remaining $6.3&nbsp;million in HEERF III funding will be awarded to students with an exceptional need through a grant application process. This is expected to help another&nbsp;4,200-plus&nbsp;students, with each grant valued at $1,500.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p>
<figure class="image-style-d">
<img data-src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/louise-janke-ljanke.jpg/Large" alt="" class="lazy" />
<figcaption>Janke</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><span data-contrast="none">“We know many of our students have faced financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Louise Janke, director of Financial Aid at UWL. “These grants will help ensure students have the support and necessities to continue their education. We’re grateful the U.S. Department of Education saw this as a priority.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">For Pell Grant recipients, no action is required. The Financial Aid Office will determine all eligible Pell students and notify them once the grants have been distributed. The grants will be added to each student's financial aid offer in WINGS,&nbsp;with an award title of&nbsp;“COVID-19 Federal Grant III.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Non-Pell students hoping to&nbsp;receive a $1,500 grant must complete an application (watch for an email from the Provost’s Office on Monday, Oct. 4) assessing their financial needs. While there is no deadline for applications, the grants will be distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis until the funding is exhausted.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">HEERF III is authorized by the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion stimulus package designed to boost the economy during and after the pandemic.&nbsp;This student assistance is particularly important, Janke notes, because students&nbsp;claimed as&nbsp;a dependent&nbsp;on another person’s tax return were not eligible for previous stimulus relief checks.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">At UWL, the first round of HEERF funding provided emergency support to students who incurred financial losses when COVID-19 caused a temporary closure of campus and halting of the economy.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">The second round provided additional help to students struggling to pay for tuition, food, housing, healthcare, child care and other expenses critical to their education.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">For more information about HEERF III, contact the Financial Aid Office at 608-785-8604 or </span><a href="mailto:finaid@uwlax.edu" data-mce-href="mailto:finaid@uwlax.edu"><span data-contrast="none">finaid@uwlax.edu</span></a><span data-contrast="none">.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p>
</div>
<span class="section photo">
<span class="photo-ratio display-block">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2019-uwl-fall-student-campus-life-0586.jpg/Medium" alt="With its $9.1 million allocation from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) III, UWL is awarding all Federal Pell Grant recipients (as of Sept. 20, 2021) a $2,000 financial aid grant. Grants are also available to non-Pell students through an application process. " />
</span>
</span>
<span class="section details">
<span class="title">Another round of relief</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">8 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Friday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Oct.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>1</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
<span class="subhead">
<span>
UWL to distribute $9.1M in HEERF III grants to students
</span>
</span>
<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about Another round of relief</span></span>
</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/how-to-apply-for-college-scholarships/How to apply for college scholarships2021-09-08T15:09:30.033Z2021-09-09T08:00:00ZKjerstin Langhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/klang/klang@uwlax.edu
<div class ="entry-content">
<script>
window.location = "https://www.uwlax.edu/college-tips/how-to-apply-for-college-scholarships/";
</script>
</div>
<span class="section photo">
<span class="photo-ratio display-block">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/katie-harp-qqakomin5jk-unsplash.jpg/Medium" alt="Image of coins and $100 bills. " />
</span>
</span>
<span class="section details">
<span class="title">How to apply for college scholarships</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">8 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Sept.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>9</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
<span class="subhead">
<span>
A collection of the best tips on how to get a scholarship
</span>
</span>
<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about How to apply for college scholarships</span></span>
</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/returning-students-have-you-filled-out-the-fafsa/Returning students: Have you filled out the FAFSA?2021-04-14T11:25:14.69Z2021-04-14T11:25:14.69ZKjerstin Langhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/klang/klang@uwlax.edu
<div class ="entry-content">
<script>
window.location = "https://www.uwlax.edu/college-tips/fafsa-facts/";
</script>
</div>
<span class="section photo">
<span class="photo-ratio display-block">
<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2020-uwl-it-makes-cents-peer-mentors-3.jpg/Medium" alt="A peer mentor works with a UW-La Crosse student as part of the It Make$ Cents financial literacy program that aims to addresses financial concerns of students that are unique to college life. Photo taken in early 2020." />
</span>
</span>
<span class="section details">
<span class="title">Returning students: Have you filled out the FAFSA?</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">11:25 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Wednesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>April</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>14</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
<span class="subhead">
<span>
Fill out the FAFSA to find out how much of your education could be covered by grants, loans and institutional aid
</span>
</span>
<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about Returning students: Have you filled out the FAFSA?</span></span>
</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/providing-paychecks-and-purpose/Providing paychecks and purpose2023-09-14T16:51:51.53Z2020-11-02T01:01:00ZBritney Heinemanhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/bheineman/bheineman@uwlax.edu
<div class="post-content">
<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">7:01 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Monday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Nov.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>2</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2020</span></p>
<figure>
<img data-src="/contentassets/15a6ecb2afb240b283e65e50da96f4da/ryan_johnson_feature.jpg/Large" alt="" class="lazy" />
<figcaption>Ryan Johnson, a UWL alum and local business owner, says he is proud to employ so many UWL students, especially amid a pandemic. “We hope and think that we’ve become an employer of choice for many UWL students, and we love that,” he says.</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3>Alum Ryan Johnson keeping students employed amid pandemic</h3>
<p>As a UW-La Crosse alum and local business owner, Ryan Johnson is proud to have employed so many past and present UWL students.</p><p>And never has that been more true than during COVID-19.</p><p>“We hope and think that we’ve become an employer of choice for many UWL students, and we love that,” says Johnson, ’01&nbsp;, who owns Howie’s on La Crosse, State Room, Animal House, The Crow and Big Al’s — in addition to a real estate business. A majority of Johnson’s nearly 300 employees attend UWL.</p><p>“For students, there’s without a doubt a lot of financial stress that is happening,” he notes. “We’ve had to change how we do things because of restricted hours and limited capacity, but we’ve purposefully kept a healthy number of staff on hand.”</p><p>Johnson says it’s key to take care of his team members.</p><p>“If we had a cook or a bartender or a server who wanted to stay on and become a delivery driver, for example, we wanted to go that route instead of Grubhub or anything like that,” he explains.</p><p>Johnson says his top-line sales are down approximately 50%. He’s hardly alone.</p><p>Some local business owners have spent the past several months under water, wondering when things will turn around, he says.</p><p>“A lot of people had the understanding that this would be a month or two, and then we’d put it in the rear-view mirror,” Johnson says. “Now people have accepted that this is going to be around for a while, and we need to get used to living with it. But people are definitely feeling the hit from this.”</p><p>Concerns about money and the length of the pandemic are also common among students, especially those who rely on off-campus jobs to cover living expenses or help pay their way through college.</p><p>Louise Janke, director of financial aid at UWL, says students are in financial distress.</p><p>“Many students work for employers or businesses that now have limited their hours due to COVID,” Janke, ’84&nbsp; and ’87, notes, adding that nearly 3,400 UWL students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant through the CARES Act. “We are also seeing that students are not able to work, as they live with someone who is at (a heightened) risk of getting the virus.”</p><p>Amanda Gasper, coordinator of UWL’s It Make$ Cents Money Management Center, says the problem predates the fall semester. Many students were already strapped for cash after a difficult summer.</p><p>“What my students are seeing within their consultations is that, with COVID, it really changed how much money students could make over the summer,” she says. “Summer is the longest and most important time for students to work and save, and many of them are behind because of it. They have resorted to putting things on their credit cards to help in the meantime.”</p><p>Johnson knows many of his employees live paycheck to paycheck, and that shutting down his properties would hurt not just his bottom line, but theirs as well.</p><p>The size of his staff should allow the businesses to function even if some employees have to quarantine or isolate. But Johnson hopes it doesn’t come to that, and that health and safety protocols keep his staff and his customers safe.</p><p>“As business people, you have to realize that there are some things bigger than business,” he says. “Family health is one of them. The impact we have on people’s lives is another — providing paychecks and purpose, and giving them tools that they can take into the next chapter of their lives.”</p><h3><strong>Supporting students in need</strong></h3><p>The UWL Cares Emergency Fund, previously known as the Angel Fund, was established in 2008 to provide students with monetary relief during times of difficulty and uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>This year, the fund has issued 59 individual support payments to students, totaling more than $25,000.</p><p>The fund is supported by alums, staff and faculty, community members, and friends of the university. Created in honor of former university professor and administrator Maurice O. Graff, it makes a profound impact on many students’ ability to afford basic necessities while pursuing a college education.</p><p>Give to the fund by <a data-mce-href="/foundation/?fund=157534" href="/foundation/?fund=157534">visiting this link</a>&nbsp;and clicking on “Support our students.”</p><p>Here is what some current and former students are saying about the recent support from UWL Cares:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I cannot accurately put into words how thankful I am for the monetary support from the UWL Foundation and the positive impact it had on my safety and stability during these trying and uncertain times. In May, I graduated with a doctorate degree from UWL and was unable to find a job due to COVID-19, placing me in a very unstable situation considering I had no income to pay rent or bills, did not receive a stimulus check, and was not able to apply for unemployment. Your support of the UWL Foundation is paramount in situations such as these and is very meaningful and purposeful to not only me, but other students in similar situations. Thank you.”</p><p>“I can’t begin to tell you how much of an assistance to me that this $400 will be for me. Thank you and the Foundation greatly for helping me in what seems like an absolute low point of the school year.”</p><p>“Thank you so much for reviewing my request. I am blessed to have amazing support through UWL always, but more importantly during this unprecedented time. I cannot thank you enough. I greatly appreciate the help.”</p>
</div>
<span class="section photo">
<span class="photo-ratio display-block">
<img data-src="/contentassets/15a6ecb2afb240b283e65e50da96f4da/ryan_johnson_feature.jpg/Medium" alt="Ryan Johnson, a UWL alum and local business owner, says he is proud to employ so many UWL students, especially amid a pandemic. “We hope and think that we’ve become an employer of choice for many UWL students, and we love that,” he says." class="lazy" />
</span>
</span>
<span class="section details">
<span class="title">Providing paychecks and purpose</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">7:01 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Monday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Nov.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>2</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2020</span></span>
<span class="subhead">
<span>
Alum Ryan Johnson keeping students employed amid pandemic
</span>
</span>
<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about Providing paychecks and purpose</span></span>
</span>