How To Get Free College in Wisconsin

It's no secret that tuition costs can be expensive, but that doesn't have to stop you from pursuing higher education. Many states, including Wisconsin, offer financial aid options to reduce the cost. You can also consider tuition-free online colleges in Wisconsin that can reduce or eliminate your tuition costs.

The Wisconsin Grant Program and the Wisconsin Tuition Promise Program are just two options for students. Keep reading to learn more about how to get free college in Wisconsin.

Is Community College Free in Wisconsin?

Community college isn't free for all students in Wisconsin; however, the state has financial aid programs that can help completely cover the cost of community college.

One of these is the Wisconsin Grant program, which offers financial aid for a range of higher education institutions across the state. Additionally, many individual technical colleges in Wisconsin offer ''promise programs'' to help students cover their tuition.

Who Qualifies for Free College in Wisconsin?

Most tuition-free programs in Wisconsin are need-based programs. This means they go to students who have demonstrated the greatest financial need.

Additionally, students typically must be Wisconsin residents. They may also need to study a certain number of credits each semester and demonstrate satisfactory academic progress.

What Is the Wisconsin Grant Program?

The Wisconsin Grant Program is a financial aid program that assists undergraduate Wisconsin residents. There are two versions of this grant: one for students attending public schools or Tribal Colleges, and one for students at private, non-profit schools.

For students at public colleges and universities, the maximum a student can receive is $3,150 per year, while students at private colleges and universities can receive up to $4,400 per year. These amounts can change yearly.

Who Is Eligible?

The eligibility requirements for the Wisconsin Grant Program are relatively simple. Students must:

• be a resident student
• enroll at least half-time in a degree or certificate program
• demonstrate financial need

There's no clear indication of what financial need means in this context. However, this is a last-dollar scholarship, which means it covers the gap between what part of your tuition is covered with grants and scholarships and the total cost overall.

Eligible Institutions

For the basic state grant, students can choose from several institutions. Students must be enrolled at one of the following:

• University of Wisconsin (all campuses)
• Wisconsin Technical College System
• Tribal Colleges in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Grant Private Non-Profit is for students at accredited, non-profit, private colleges and universities. There are over 30 of these institutions in Wisconsin, including:

• Carroll University
• Concordia University Wisconsin
• Marquette University
• Milwaukee School of Engineering

How To Apply

There is no specific application process for the Wisconsin Grant Program. Students should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Students who qualify as indicated by their FAFSA will have the Wisconsin Grant automatically added to their financial aid offer.

What Is the Wisconsin Tuition Promise Program?

The Wisconsin Tuition Promise Program is an initiative created by the Universities of Wisconsin system to ensure underserved residents can attend any University of Wisconsin without paying tuition or fees. It's a last-dollar program, covering whatever tuition remains for students.

It's available to students at any university in the UW system, except UW-Madison, which has its own program called Bucky's Tuition Promise. Both programs provide up to four years of tuition and fee funding for eligible undergraduate students.

Who Is Eligible?

The eligibility requirements for the Wisconsin Tuition Promise Program and Bucky's Tuition Promise are similar but not the same. In both cases, eligible students must:

• be a Wisconsin resident
• be a new student or first-time transfer student seeking an associate degree or bachelor's degree
• be enrolled full-time and be continuously enrolled
• meet the family adjusted gross income (AGI) requirements
• meet the university's Standards of Academic Progress (SAP)

The income requirements vary slightly between the Wisconsin Tuition Promise and Bucky's Tuition Promise. For the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, the AGI must be $62,000 or lower for a family or $31,000 or lower for independent students. For Bucky's Tuition Promise, the AGI must be $65,000 or less.

Eligible Institutions

Only the University of Wisconsin-Madison uses Bucky's Tuition Promise. For the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, all University of Wisconsin System universities participate:

• UW- Eau Claire
• UW- Green Bay
• UW- La Crosse
• UW- Milwaukee
• UW Oshkosh
• UW- Parkside
• UW- Platteville
• UW- River Falls
• UW- Stevens Point
• UW- Stout
• UW- Superior
• UW- Whitewater

How To Apply

For both the Wisconsin Tuition Promise and Bucky's Tuition Promise, there is no specific application. Students should fill out their FAFSA, and if they qualify, the tuition promise will be included in their financial aid award.

Tips for Making College Affordable

There are a few ways students can make college more affordable. To start, fill out your FAFSA right away. This will indicate if you qualify for any of Wisconsin's grant programs.

Additionally, there are various tuition programs, like the Wisconsin Tuition Promise Program, specifically for public universities. Choosing a public university over a private one can help you save money.

If you do choose a private university, look into available scholarships and grants. Your school's financial aid office should also be able to help.

Tuition-Free Colleges in Wisconsin

Multiple colleges and universities across the state use the Wisconsin Grant, the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, and other forms of financial aid, to make college tuition-free for qualifying students. We've broken down a few below.

Madison Area Technical College

Madison Area Technical College, or Madison College, is a public technical and community college based in Madison, Wisconsin. It offers associate degrees, certificates, diplomas, and apprenticeship programs.

As part of the Wisconsin Technical College System, students at this college are eligible for the Wisconsin Grant Program. The college also offers a ''Scholars of Promise'' program, designed to help low-income students cover tuition and fee costs for program classes not covered by grants and scholarships.

Marquette University

Marquette University is a private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The Wisconsin Grant Program covers students at Marquette University, but the school also offers the need-based Marquette Grant. This grant is for undergraduate students, and eligibility is assessed when students complete their FAFSA.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public research university in Madison and is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin system. It offers bachelor's, master's, and graduate degrees.

Students at UW-Madison can pursue Bucky's Tuition Promise to help them pay for school. The university also offers Bucky's Pell Pathway program, which guarantees full financial coverage for all Pell Grant-eligible first-year and new transfer students on campus.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a public research university in Milwaukee and has the largest enrollment of the University of Wisconsin schools. Like UW-Madison, it offers bachelor's and graduate degrees.

At UW-Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Tuition Promise is called the ''Milwaukee Tuition Promise''. Students can also use the Wisconsin Grant to help cover their tuition costs.