Funding and financial information

Information on the cost of attending the La Follette School, including tuition, fees, financial aid, and other ways to help pay for your education.

Tuition and fees

The UW-Madison Bursar’s Office publishes information about tuition and segregated fees for the fall and spring semesters in early August. Rates for the Public Affairs and International Public Affairs programs can be found on that page in the tuition rates workbook. Our programs are in the College of Letters & Science in the School/College dropdown menu and at the Master’s level in the Program Award Type dropdown menu.

Ways to pay for your education

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Graduate School Application Fee Grant

Eligible graduate applicants are encouraged to apply for a Graduate School Application Fee Grant.

Federal Student Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available in December and students are encouraged to complete it as soon as they are able. UW–Madison’s school code is 003895.

Please review eligibility for federal student aid. Applicants for most types of financial aid must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or other eligible non-citizens. Questions should be directed to the Office of Student Financial Aid. Detailed information about the FAFSA from UW-Madison can be found here.

Admitted students who choose to attend the La Follette School will have their FAFSA processed more quickly once their official transcript has been received by the UW-Madison Graduate School.

Official paper copies of International transcripts must be sent by post to:

The Graduate School Admissions Office
University of Wisconsin-Madison
232 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Domestic transcripts may be sent electronically from U.S. institutions by following these steps:

  1. Order your transcript through your institution.
  2. If you cannot just choose UW-Madison Graduate School, then transcripts can be sent to transcripts@grad.wisc.edu. Please do not send questions to that address.
  3. The UW-Madison Graduate School prefers electronic transcripts if your institution offers that option.
  4. If your institution does not have an electronic option, have the official hard copy sent to the address below.
  5. Please do not send both a paper and electronic copy of the same transcript.

Graduate School Funding

Review types of funding available through the UW-Madison Graduate School.

La Follette School Funding

Students who apply to the La Follette School of Public Affairs by January 1 receive priority consideration for La Follette School funding. There is no separate application. The Admissions Committee awards a limited number of fellowships, assistantships, and scholarships. Need is considered. The La Follette can nominate applicants for the Letters & Science Graduate Research Scholars Fellowship.  Please note that applicants to the accelerated MPA and accelerated MIPA are not eligible to be considered for graduate program funding from the La Follette School or graduate assistantships. During their second year in the program, accelerated students will matriculate as graduate students and would then be eligible to apply for graduate assistantships on campus.

La Follette School fellowships provide a scholarship, low-cost health insurance, and a stipend during the student’s first year. In their second year, fellows work as a project assistant with a La Follette School faculty member. Project assistantships (PAships) provide full tuition remission (in and out of state), low-cost health insurance, and a stipend.

La Follette School faculty also occasionally hire project or teaching assistants. Student services staff notify current and incoming students about these positions via email.

The La Follette School collaborates with several on- and off-campus partners that provide work experiences by funding PAships. All students who apply to the La Follette School by January 1 receive priority consideration for these PAships, which also provide tuition remission (in and out of state), low-cost health insurance, and a stipend.

The La Follette School awards scholarships that can be applied toward tuition costs, but which may not cover full tuition.

Students who plan to attend the La Follette School part-time, which is rare, are not considered for funding offers from the La Follette School. Please note that applicants to the accelerated program are not eligible to be considered for La Follette School funding offers at the time of admission. fellowships, assistantships, or scholarships. However, once they have matriculated as graduate students, accelerated students become eligibly to apply for campus graduate assistantships.

Students receiving fellowships, scholarships, and PAships are responsible for UW–Madison segregated fees both years.

UW-Madison Library Resources

Campus librarian, Ellen Jacks, maintains these Research Guides which are accessible to all UW-Madison students. See Funding for Graduate Students: Workshop Materials.

External Fellowships

The Graduate School’s External Fellowship Database is a searchable database of external funding opportunities for graduate students. Students can filter their searches by disciplinary division and/or demographics. If you receive an fellowship offer from outside of UW-Madison, it is important to read the university policy on external fellowships.

Campus Assistantships

Various UW–Madison departments, schools, and units employ graduate students as teaching, project, and research assistants. Most graduate assistantships are posted on the Student Job Center, and the La Follette School encourages students to check these listings frequently. Application and award processes vary by program. Assistantships with a 33.4 percent appointment typically include tuition remission, low-cost health insurance, and a stipend. In academic year 2022-23, 74% of La Follette School students held an assistantship or fellowship with tuition remission.

The following academic departments and research centers have employed La Follette School students as project and research assistants.

Campus Scholarships

The Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) provides a listing of scholarship opportunities available to students and information about applications, deadlines, eligibility criteria, award amounts, donors and more.  You must sign in with your NetID to access WiSH.

Fellowship Finders

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) was initiated in October 2007 to forgive the student loan debt of borrowers working in the public or nonprofit sectors based on certain requirements. As part of the program, borrowers who work for a qualifying employer can have their remaining debt forgiven after making 120 payments toward their Federal Direct Loans using a qualifying repayment plan.

 

Wisconsin Indian Student Assistance Grant

Awards under this program are made to Wisconsin residents who are at least 25% Native American and are undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in degree or certificate programs at University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Technical College, independent colleges and universities, tribal colleges, or proprietary institutions based in Wisconsin. Awards are based on financial need with a limit of ten semesters of eligibility. HEAB has an informal matching arrangement with grant funds awarded by the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and Wisconsin Tribal governments. https://heab.state.wi.us/programs.html

New student: https://heab.state.wi.us/files/forms/form-indian.pdf

Continuing student: https://heab.state.wi.us/files/forms/form-indian-continuing.pdf

 

International students

International students who apply by January 1 will be considered for La Follette School funding. The Graduate School does not request financial documents from international applicants until a recommendation for admission has been received. Upon admission, international students send financial documents to the Graduate School Admissions Office. Learn more.

Additional opportunities

  • Stephen F. Brenton Health Policy Scholarship
    For La Follette School students interested in a career in health policy, preferably one that impacts the state of Wisconsin and its citizens. (September deadline)
  • Scholarships for DACAmented and Undocumented Students
    The Center for DREAMers provides state-wide education information to DACAmented college students through online resources, tools, and events.
  • 19 Best Scholarships in the USA for International Students
    Scholarship opportunities for international students.

  • Energy Analysis and Policy Funding Opportunities
    For graduate students in the Energy Analysis and Policy Program Certificate. (September deadline)
  • Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships
    For students engaged in a domestic program of full-time language and area studies; MIPA applicants and current students encouraged to apply. (February deadline)
  • UW–Madison scholarships for nontraditional students
    Scholarships are available for admitted UW–Madison nontraditional and returning adult students.(February deadline)
  • UW–Madison for international students 
    Sources of aid available for international students. (Deadlines vary)
  • Institute for Regional and International Studies
    Several funding opportunities for those focused on regional and international studies. MIPA students are encouraged to apply to opportunities for which they are eligible. (Deadlines vary)
  • McBurney Center General Scholarships Information
    McBurney general scholarships are available to current and incoming UW-Madison undergraduate, graduate, and professional students whose disability(s) has been verified through the McBurney Disability Resource Center. (April deadline)
  • La Unidad Latina Foundation (LULF) advances Latino educational achievement by providing undergraduate and graduate Latino students awards to lessen their academic financial burden. (October deadline)
  • The Truman Foundation awards the Truman Scholarship which permits graduate study for college juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to “making a difference” through public service in government, education, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, or elsewhere in the public service. (November deadline)
  • Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans recognizes contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants in the United States. (October deadline)
  • UW–Madison Student Job Center
    Access part-time positions at UW-Madison and with businesses and families in the local community. (Deadlines vary)
  • UW–Madison Office of Student Financial Aid
  • Jobs at UW
    Access temporary and part-time staff positions at UW-Madison. (Deadlines vary)
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness
    If you are employed by a U.S. federal, state, local or tribal government or not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
  • Fastweb Private fellowships and scholarships
    This search platform connects students to scholarships and financial aid tools to help make school more affordable. Registration required. (Deadlines vary)
  • External scholarship opportunities for students from minority groups
  • Government Finance Officers Association Scholarships
    The Government Finance Officers Association provides several scholarship opportunities for enrolled students interested in pursuing a career in state/provincial or local government finance. (January deadline)
  • The Maddy Institute Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship
    For students from San Joaquin Valley pursuing a graduate degree in Public Affairs. Fellowships cover tuition and books and a summer stipend. Selected fellows must return to the San Joaquin Valley and work for a government entity, social service agency, or non-profit for at least two years, at the end of which the fellowship will become a forgiveable loan. Recommended for applicants and current students from San Joaquin Valley. (February deadline)
  • Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship
    The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program is a program funded by the U.S. Department of State, administered by Howard University, that attracts and prepares outstanding young people for Foreign Service careers in the U.S. Department of State. It welcomes the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the State Department, women, and those with a demonstrated financial need for graduate school. Based on the fundamental principle that diversity is a strength in our diplomatic efforts, the program values varied backgrounds, including ethnic, racial, social, and geographic diversity. Recommended for applicants. (September deadline)
  • Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program
    The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State in which they can help formulate, represent, and implement U.S. foreign policy. The Rangel Program selects outstanding Rangel Fellows annually in a highly competitive nationwide process and supports them through two years of graduate study, internships, mentoring, and professional development activities. This program encourages the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women, and those with financial need. Fellows who successfully complete the program and Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers, in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy. Recommended for applicants. (September deadline)
  • USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program
    The USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program seeks to attract outstanding individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). If you want to work on the front lines of some of the most pressing global challenges of our times — poverty, hunger, injustice, disease, environmental degradation, climate change, conflict and violent extremism – the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development provides an opportunity to advance U.S. foreign policy interests and reflect the American people’s compassion and support of human dignity. The Payne Fellowship, which provides up to $104,000 in benefits over two years for graduate school, internships, and professional development activities, is a unique pathway to the USAID Foreign Service. Recommended for applicants. (November deadline)
  • Brittingham Viking Organization Scholarships
    Must be able to study, live, and travel in Scandinavia during entire scholarship period.(April deadline)

Contact students and alumni

  • Portrait of Luis Navarrete

    Luis Navarrete, MPA

    "I was drawn by the La Follette School’s reputation, quality of education, program flexibility, and location."

  • Portrait of Al Schultz

    Al Schultz, MPA

    "Following a career in public affairs to me has always meant giving back to and having consideration for the larger communities we are nestled within."

  • Portrait of Alivia Lindorfer

    Alivia Lindorfer, MPA

    "Central to my career goals is the desire to effect positive change and empower individuals through the formulation and implementation of impactful public policies."

  • More student and alumni contacts