Funding your education can be complex, but we’re here to help. At CALS, we provide scholarships for more than just your education — we also support hands-on experiences like research and study abroad, too. And we do that with more than $1.2 million awarded to CALS students every year.
How can I pay for college?
The first step for all CALS students is to fill out the Free Application for Student Financial Aid, or the FAFSA. Filling out the FAFSA allows you to access all of the types of aid that you may be eligible for, including CALS scholarships and other scholarships through the Office of Student Financial Aid.
FAFSA is a requirement for a majority of scholarships and other opportunities. Even if you don’t think you’ll receive any federal funding, please complete the FAFSA in order to be eligible for all scholarships. Funding opportunities are available for incoming first-year students, incoming transfer students, and current students. Get started on the steps to fund your education.
Steps for incoming first-year and transfer students
Students must fill out the FAFSA and the CSS Profile to be eligible for financial aid
- Fill out the FAFSA. The UW–Madison priority deadline for the 2026-2027 school year is December 1, 2025. Submit by this deadline to be considered for the most amount of federal aid. You can submit after the deadline, but you will not be eligible for all opportunities.
- Fill out the CSS Profile. The UW–Madison priority deadline for the 2026-2027 school year is December 1, 2025. Completing the CSS profile allows you to receive institutional aid.
- Activate your NetID. You’ll receive instructions after you submit your UW–Madison application.
- After your NetID is activated, you will be automatically considered for CALS Incoming Student Scholarships.
- Check out additional funding opportunities through the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH). Don’t wait to hear your admission status before you apply! The majority of scholarship deadlines are February 1, 2026.
- Review your financial aid offer. Your offer will be sent to your wisc.edu email or your preferred email if your wisc.edu email is not set up.
More information on how to apply for FAFSA, CSS, and scholarships can be found on the Office of Student Financial Aid website.
Incoming student financial aid opportunities
All incoming CALS students are automatically considered for CALS Incoming Student Scholarships. To be considered, you must fill out the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and activate your NetID, which can be done after you apply to UW–Madison. Typically, students will be notified if they were selected for the scholarship within a few weeks of receiving their admission decision. CALS awards approximately $100,000 annually within this fund with individual students receiving $3,000.
CALS first-year students who are participating in QuickStart — our online, one-credit summer course that helps prepare you for college — can apply for a scholarship to help offset costs. Last year, around 40% of QuickStart students received a scholarship! To apply, you’ll select that you want to be considered for scholarships on your application to the program. You must have your FAFSA on file to be considered for these scholarships.
UW–Madison has many funding opportunities for incoming students. Some opportunities from the Office of Student Financial Aid include:
- Wisconsin Commitments: Need-based financial aid programs designed for Wisconsin residents
- BANNER (Badger Aid for Nonresidents): Need-based financial aid for nonresidents
- Student employment options: Includes federal work study and student jobs at UW–Madison and the surrounding community
- Scholarships and grants: Use the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) to fill out an application to be considered for additional funding opportunities
- Loans: Includes federal, institutional, and private loan options
Steps for current students
- Fill out the FAFSA — you need to submit one every year. The priority deadline to submit the FAFSA for the 2026-2027 school year is December 1, 2025. Submit by this deadline to be considered for the most amount of federal aid. You can submit after the deadline, but you will not be eligible for all opportunities.
- Apply for CALS Continuing Student Scholarships using the application on the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH). The application opens on WiSH in November and closes February 1, 2026.
- Check out additional funding opportunities and apply through the WiSH. The majority of scholarship deadlines are February 1, 2026.
- Review your financial aid offer. Your offer will be sent to your wisc.edu email.
More information on how to apply for FAFSA and scholarships can be found on the Office of Student Financial Aid website.
Current student financial aid opportunities
All returning CALS students are encouraged to apply for CALS Continuing Student Scholarships on WiSH. Thanks to our generous donors, students will be considered for multiple scholarship awards with one application. The application is typically open between November and February for funds for the following year. To apply, students will write a brief essay to share how they demonstrate their commitment to CALS. Students may be selected selected for these scholarship funds based on academic achievement, involvement level, financial need, residency, career interests, and/or academic major/program of interest.
If selected, students will receive $4,000 that will be applied to their student account for tuition or other university expenses. We award approximately $450,000 annually. Students must apply for this scholarship every year.
CALS offers over $50,000 in scholarships each year to students participating in CALS study abroad programs. Students who apply through WiSH and apply through the Study Abroad Scholars application offered by International Academic Programs (IAP) will be considered.
Scholarship application deadlines
- Summer and fall programs
- Application opens mid-December
- Application deadline is late February of the following year
- Winter, spring, spring break, and calendar year programs
- Application opens early September
- Application deadline is mid-September
How much money can I receive for studying abroad?
CALS study abroad scholarships are awarded based on the length of the study abroad program:
- 3 weeks or less (winter, spring break, some summer programs): $1,500
- Summer (more than 3 weeks): $2,000
- Semester: $2,500
- Academic year: $4,000
CALS students are eligible for additional internal and external scholarships to support their participation on a study abroad program. For additional scholarships and resources on funding a study abroad experience, visit the UW Study Abroad website.
CALS students who are involved in mentored research are encouraged to apply for the Undergraduate Research Award. To apply, students will submit a research proposal and a mentor recommendation through WiSH. Applications are accepted during the spring semester.
UW–Madison offers additional funding through the Office of Student Financial Aid. Some opportunities include:
- Wisconsin Commitments: Need-based financial aid programs designed for Wisconsin residents
- BANNER (Badger Aid for Nonresidents): Need-based financial aid for nonresidents
- Student employment options: Includes federal work study and student jobs at UW–Madison and the surrounding community
- Scholarships and Grants: Use the WiSH to fill out an application to be considered for additional funding opportunities
- Loans: Includes federal, institutional, and private loan options
FAQs
No, CALS does not offer merit-based scholarships to incoming students. There are some donor-based scholarships that prioritize high academic achieving students. You can find these opportunities on the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH).
Yes! Many students receive a CALS scholarship in addition to the financial aid received from the Office of Student Financial Aid. Individual student situations (financial need, level of financial aid awarded) will determine eligibility for CALS scholarships on top of financial aid awards.
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. CALS scholarships are administered by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and are not considered federal aid.
CALS Incoming Student Scholarships
- Early action: February
- Regular decision: March
CALS Continuing Student Scholarships
- Mid-March to end of April
Additional CALS scholarships
- Depending on the scholarship, notifications may be awarded between January through August
- Specialized scholarships notifications, such as QuickStart and study abroad, will depend on the application cycle
Your odds of receiving a scholarship are based on total award amount of funding available, financial need, and other criteria of the specific scholarship.
Yes, there are scholarships available for QuickStart, study abroad, and research.
Questions?
Reach out to the CALS scholarship team at scholarships@cals.wisc.edu.
Office of Academic Affairs
116 Agricultural Hall
1450 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Office Hours: 7:45am – 4:30pm
For current & prospective student general inquiries:
Phone: 608.262.3003
Email: academicaffairs@cals.wisc.edu