Welcome to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) scholarship page. CALS students receive more than $1.25 annually in scholarship awards thanks to the generosity of our donors committed to the success of CALS students.
All CALS students who submit an application will be considered for all CALS scholarships, as appropriate, depending on some or all of the following: academic achievement, involvement level, financial need, residency, career interests, and/or major/program of interest. CALS scholarships are in addition to campus level financial aid awarded through the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Applying for CALS Scholarships
The CALS Scholarship Application opens in early November and remains open until the beginning of February each academic year. Whether you have been accepted to UW-Madison yet or not, you can apply via theapplicationfor scholarships at theWisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH), as soon as you have a NetID. Our single application allows you to be considered for all CALS scholarships.
To be considered for scholarships with a financial need component, you must have a FAFSA on file at UW-Madison – the UW Madison School Code is 003895. More information on completing FAFSA can be found here.
All CALS Scholarship recipients must fulfill the thank you note requirement described in their award offer prior to receiving their funding.
First-year and transfer students should apply for CALS Scholarships as soon as you apply for admissions. Scholarship applications are open from early November to early February for the following academic year. Your application must be completed and submitted by the February deadline to be eligible for the next year’s awards. Some specialized scholarships, including scholarships for QuickStart and Study Abroad, have their own application cycle.
CALS has over 240 funds from which we award scholarships due to the many very generous donors who value the future of CALS. A variety of criteria are used to match students with scholarship opportunities. Some will take GPA and other scholarly activity into account; others may look at financial need, area or major of interest, career plans, or residency.
Yes, CALS Scholarships are available at all levels for students who have filled-out the CALS Scholarship application. In-coming first-year students may also be considered for CALS scholarship offers based on information from their UW-Madison admissions application in addition to their FAFSA to assess need.
Some CALS Scholarships are awarded based on financial need. To be eligible you must have a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file at UW-Madison. More information about FAFSA can be found here. Other CALS Scholarships are not based on financial aid and FAFSA is not required.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form that can be prepared annually by current and prospective college students in the United States to determine their eligibility for student financial aid.
When filling out your FAFSA, the UW-Madison school code is: 003895. More information about FAFSA can be found here.
At UW-Madison, campus level “financial aid” is administered by the Office of Student Financial Aid and is based on financial need of students, as assessed by FAFSA. There are many programs run through the Office of Student Financial Aid, all open to CALS students.
CALS Scholarships are funds administered by CALS to support CALS students, and may be awarded to students in addition to financial aid packages. Different CALS scholarships have different criteria to match with students – some will take GPA and other scholarly activity into account, others may look at financial need, area or major of interest, career plans, or residency.
Yes, many students receive a CALS Scholarship in addition to the financial aid received from the UW Student Financial Aid Office. Individual student situations (financial need, level of financial aid awarded) will determine eligibility for CALS Scholarships on top of financial aid awards.
The majority of CALS Scholarship notifications occur in mid-March and mid-April. However, students should monitor their emails and WiSH dashboards from January through August as awarding happens in cycles based on admissions, college, and departmental award decisions.
Specialized scholarship notification (e.g. for QuickStart and Study Abroad) will depend on the application cycle.
For students who are US citizens, scholarship funds will go to the bursar’s office and be applied to any outstanding balance in their student account. International student scholarships must be paid via the payroll system. The CALS Scholarship team will be able to assist all students to ensure you get your scholarship award.
We post other scholarship opportunities that might be of interest to our students here. Note, CALS does not administer these scholarships.
Supporting CALS Students
Gifts to support CALS scholarships and programs enable students to get the most out of their CALS experience and assist them in making a strong start, gaining a global perspective, customizing their path of study, learning through hands-on, real world experiences, and building their community and networks.
Agricultural & Applied Economics, Agricultural Business Management
Abagail Catania BS ‘19
Abagail Catania couldn’t wait until graduation to make a difference in the lives of students like herself. So she didn’t. Instead, she established a scholarship for her peers before even having her diploma in hand. Guided by her enthusiasm for expanding opportunities, Catania says she wants students of color to feel there is a place for them in agricultural studies.
After reflecting on her experience at UW-Madison as a mixed, black woman in agriculture, Catania created the Abagail Catania Agricultural & Applied Economics/Agricultural Business Management Diversity Scholarship. Catania knows that any amount of money can make a huge difference in someone’s life here at UW.
Office of Academic Affairs
116 Agricultural Hall 1450 Linden Drive Madison, WI 53706
