UW Lab working to make financial aid to Native students more accessible

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The University of Wisconsin-Madison is starting a project to better connect Native college students with financial support.

There are many state and college programs currently for Native students which provide tuition waivers or in-state tuition. However, there is not an organized site for students to find these benefits.

The UW Student Success Through Applied Research, or SSTAR, Lab will conduct a two-year project which scans programs that give financial assistance to Indigenous students. They will then create a publicly available web tool which identifies these programs.

“As a public institution guided by the Wisconsin Idea, it’s our responsibility to be part of the solution when it comes to reducing disparities in higher education, especially among Indigenous students,” Professor Nicholas Hillman, the SSTAR Lab director, said.

The goal is to have a searchable database where students can go to find opportunities, and policymakers to study these programs. Students would be able to search for funding programs based on Tribal affiliation(s).

“We are proud to be part of this work that will open doors for Native college-going students across the country,” Hillman said.

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