Engineering Student Scholars Program
What it means to be an Engineering Student Scholar
The Engineering Student Scholars Program brings together three distinguished scholarship tracks—STAR, LEED and Thompson Scholarships—designed to recruit, support and graduate exceptional engineering students. Receiving one of these scholarships honors your academic excellence and commitment to earning an engineering degree.
Importantly, you’ll be part of a community. You’ll connect with engineers like you. You’ll meet professors and staff who are invested in you and your success. And you’ll have access to a range of support services so that you can achieve your educational goals.
STAR Scholarship
The STAR Scholarship offers renewable scholarships for up to eight semesters to undergraduate students directly admitted to the College of Engineering. Annual award amounts range from $2,250 to $13,500. Approximately 70 incoming students are selected for the STAR Scholarship each fall.
LEED Scholarship
The LEED Scholars Program provides renewable scholarships through graduation for undergraduate students directly admitted to the College of Engineering. Awards range from $2,250 per year to full Wisconsin resident tuition coverage. Approximately 30 incoming students are selected for the LEED Scholarship each fall.
Thompson Merit Scholarship
The James H. Thompson Merit scholarship provides renewable scholarships for up to 8 semesters in the amount of $13,500 per academic year, in addition to access to a one-time $2500 enrichment fund to support participation in undergraduate research. Two Wisconsin residents are selected for this scholarship each fall.
“The Grainger STAR Scholarship encouraged me to always give it my utmost and strive through a variety of difficulties. At first, it was challenging to adjust to a new educational system but having the support of the STAR community kept me going each day. Using my BME degree, I aspire to be an inventive doctor who designs medical devices. With the guidance I have received, I believe I am one step closer to achieving my goals.”
Ipek Kadioglu
biomedical engineering undergraduate from Istanbul, Turkey
How to become an Engineering Student Scholar
We’d love to consider you! But first, you’ll need to complete a UW-Madison admissions application. That’s it! We strongly encourage you to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), but we don’t require the FAFSA to consider you for the Engineering Student Scholars Program. What we do evaluate when we choose scholars is your academic merit, extracurricular activities, leadership, essays and other criteria.
Each academic year, approximately 100 incoming engineering students receive an Engineering Student Scholars Program scholarship.
How we support our Engineering Student Scholars
Here in the College of Engineering, we believe in the power of community, and of working together. That’s the environment you’ll experience as an Engineering Student Scholar. You’ll study in groups (sometimes we even throw in some food and fun) with Engineering Student Scholars who live near you on campus, and you’ll be able to attend special study nights at our engineering Undergraduate Learning Center (ULC). Throughout your engineering education, you’ll also have access to one-on-one tutoring appointments through the ULC’s Tutoring-By-Request program.
Through events, workshops, tours and more, we’ll help you grow in other ways, too. Want to explore undergrad research (and get paid to do it)? Visit one of our employer partners? Take a deep dive into everything you can make and do in our makerspace? Volunteer at a science outreach event? We’ve got those covered, plus lots more.
What we ask of scholars
When you’re admitted to the College of Engineering, we automatically consider you for the Engineering Student Scholars Program (we’ll email you if you’re selected). That’s an investment in you—and we want you to take that commitment seriously. Engineering Student Scholars Program Scholarships are renewable for up to eight semesters of your undergraduate enrollment (College of Engineering scholarship awards, including Engineering Student Scholar awards, are deferred to a future semester if you participate in our cooperative education program), but we expect that you:
- Maintain full-time student status (complete a minimum of 12 credits each semester) in the College of Engineering
- Maintain a minimum GPA. For LEED it’s 2.8, for STAR and Thompson it’s 3.0.
- Continue to make satisfactory progress toward your engineering degree program
- Be a good citizen of the university community and adhere to the university’s rules, policies and procedures pertaining to student conduct
- Actively participate in donor engagement events
- Actively participate in programming opportunities
- Provide thank you messages and personal updates for your scholarship award donors as required
Contact an advisor
As engineering students, you’ll work with an advisor, but you’ll also have a dedicated Engineering Student Scholar Program advisor. They can connect you to campus resources, chat about your transition to college, help you hone your professional (and personal) goals, and lots of other things, too.