Thank you donors!
Your generous donations help make education at UW–Madison accessible for returning adult and nontraditional students. Gifts of any amount are welcome and deeply appreciated.
Annual Celebration of Outstanding Adult Students
Give online
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Adult Student Scholarship
This fund provides financial support to returning adult students working toward degree completion. Contributions to this fund will be applied to the areas of greatest need.
Sybil Pressprich retired from UW–Madison at the end of 2020 after 24 years with Adult Career and Special Student Services (ACSSS). Sybil coordinated our Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award and the annual celebration honoring returning adult students. She was committed to supporting adult and nontraditional students achieve their education dreams. Upon her retirement, the ACSSS staff made a significant contribution to this fund in Sybil’s honor.
Alma Baron Second Chance for Women Scholarship
This fund was established by Alma Baron who returned to school at age 51 to earn a doctorate in adult education. Dr. Baron’s family continues to support the fund in her memory. This scholarship supports women aged 45 or older who are returning to school.
Badger Ready Scholarship
Badger Ready is a transitional program for adults 25+ and veterans of any age who may face barriers to completing an undergraduate degree due to a past academic record. Students who successfully complete the Badger Ready program requirements, are typically then admissible as transfer students to UW–Madison. While in the program, these students are University Special Students and as such, do not qualify for financial aid and most scholarships.
The Badger Ready Scholarship fund will help students in the program complete the coursework necessary to then be admitted and matriculated as undergraduate students at UW–Madison.
Nancy W. Denney Memorial Scholarship
This fund was established in memory of Nancy Denney, a single parent and devoted professor who died of cancer in 1995. Recipients are undergraduate, single parent students.
Kindness Matters Scholarship
The Sosa family started the Kindness Matters Scholarship to give returning adult students with financial need and strong academic history the opportunity to focus on achieving their target degrees. Beth and Brandon’s daughter Aanya chose the name Kindness Matters considering their family belief that , above all, love and kindness are most important.
Bernice D. Kuney Scholarship
This fund was established by Edith Martindale to honor Bernice Kuney, a UW-Extension professor of English who supported adult students returning to school.
American Association of University Women (AAUW) - Monona/Madison Fund for Excellence
This fund supports the Single Parent Undergraduate Scholarship and the Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award.
PLATO Scholarship Fund
Donations to the PLATO Scholarship Fund can be made by visiting the PLATO webpage.
Mary K. Rouse & Roger P. Bruesewitz Beyond Bars Scholarship Fund
This fund supports students taking credit courses toward a first undergraduate degree. Read more about the scholarship.
Give by mail
To make a gift by check, please download and complete our donation form selecting the fund(s) you wish to support. Mail the form and your check made payable to UW Foundation to: Anne Niendorf, Adult Career and Special Student Services, 21 N. Park St., Suite 7101, Madison, WI, 53715-1218.
If you have questions about making a gift, contact Anne Niendorf, Scholarship coordinator, Adult Career and Special Student Services at anne.niendorf@wisc.edu or 608-265-5120.
Know a returning adult student?
Encourage them to check out our financial assistance information.