UW-Madison’s “Bucky’s Tuition Promise” Welcomes 961 New Students, Providing Free Undergraduate Tuition to Its Largest Class of Beneficiaries

Bucky’s Tuition Promise hosted its largest class yet this year, granting hundreds of University of Wisconsin-Madison students free undergraduate tuition.

Founded in 2018, Bucky’s Tuition Promise allocate scholarships and grants for tuition and separate fees for Wisconsin students whose adjusted gross income totals $ 60,000 or less. Incoming freshmen receive eight consecutive semesters of free tuition while transfer students receive four.

“It’s amazing to go to this school and know that I have [Bucky’s Tuition Promise] helping me through the process, ”said Haley Wolff, junior and UW-Madison scholar.

Growing each year, UW-Madison this year welcomed 961 students in the four-year program according to a university outing – an augmentation of last year’s 923 students. In 2019, the university had 848 students join the program and the year before – the inaugural year of Bucky’s Tuition Promise – 796 state students received free undergraduate tuition fees as part of the financial aid program. The first class of Bucky’s Tuition Promise recipients will graduate next spring.

“We are delighted to welcome these talented students to campus and are excited to see what they will accomplish,” said university spokesperson Meredith McGlone, noting that one in five new undergraduates of Wisconsin is part of Bucky’s education promise. year. “Bucky’s education promise is one of the most powerful ways for UW-Madison to help Wisconsin students from low to moderate income families achieve their educational dreams.”

For students like Wolff, Bucky’s Tuition Promise is what drew them to UW-Madison.

“I discovered Bucky’s education promise immediately when I started studying school,” Wolff said. “It definitely prompted me to apply to Madison because I had never seen another school offer something like this.”

Bucky’s Tuition Promise is funded by university resources and private donations and has nearly 3,500 students involved in the program. Students are considered for the financial aid program on the basis of their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

“Honestly, this has been the best thing for my family and I,” Wolff said, noting that the college workshops and information sessions included in the program also help cover the costs of attending UW-Madison. “It’s amazing to go to this school and know it helps me along the way.”