Milwaukee High School of the Arts offers a number of programs to help our students with College and Career Readiness. We encourage students to take advantage of these resources for guidance with selecting a college, FAFSA and Scholarships.
Scholarships
This is not an exhaustive list of available scholarships, and students are encouraged to look for scholarships on their own. Many parent/guardian’s places of employment may offer scholarships to the children of their employees, as do local businesses, churches, and community organizations. See the links below for more information on scholarship search sites.
Useful Websites
Paying for College
FASFA
Federal Student Aid, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation, providing approximately $112 billion in financial aid to help pay for college or career school each year.
College Possible
College Possible makes college admission and success possible for low-income students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support. Since its founding in 2000, College Possible has become a leading organization in the field of college access and success with a track record of best-in-class results, rigorous evaluation and innovation.
Their evidence-based programming is grounded in four key pillars:
- Near-peer coaching: College Possible is a proud AmeriCorps organization, powered by talented and idealistic AmeriCorps and VISTA members who serve as near-peer coaches to high school or college students.
- Research-based curriculum: We realize that the path to and through college is complex. Our curriculum encompasses topics such as finding a best-fit college, academic preparation, financial planning and personal development.
- Peer support network: We strive to build a community of support among our students to serve as an additional source of encouragement for one another.
- Commitment to college success: The goal of a college degree drives all that we do.
In their flagship program, students attend after-school sessions for two hours twice a week throughout their junior and senior years of high school. Over the course of these two years, students participate in up to 320 hours of programming in a supportive group of college-bound peers. Coaches implement an interactive curriculum designed to guide students through the key aspects of preparing for college.
After high school, College Possible students receive coaching through the transition to college and are supported all the way through college graduation. Depending on the college they attend, students will receive in-person coaching on campus or technology-based coaching. Coaches assist students in connecting them to resources on campus, tackling barriers and identifying future opportunities.
See College Possible locations in Milwaukee.
People Program
The UW-Madison PEOPLE Program (Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence) seeks to increase college enrollment and graduation rates of Wisconsin students of color, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and first generation college attendees. The program focuses on promoting students’ pursuit of higher education, particularly at UW-Madison. PEOPLE was created in direct response to the achievement gaps among Wisconsin students of different ethnic backgrounds and to meet the growing demand for an educated and diverse workforce.
Upon completion of the precollege segment of the program and upon admission to the UW-Madison, the participant is eligible for a four-year tuition scholarship to UW-Madison. In addition, excellent programming and strong leadership have yielded undeniable results:
- 100% of PEOPLE students graduate from high school
- 94% enroll in some form of higher education
- 70% enroll in UW System, 51% UW-Madison, and 95% are retained at UW-Madison.