Wisconsin law limits the amount a student is eligible to receive for this grant as the lesser amount between the tuition they are charged for an academic term or the maximum applicable UW Madison in-state resident tuition rate for a similar undergraduate program. The applicable UW Madison maximum amount differs depending on the number of credits the student is taking for that academic term.

There are three main factors to consider when calculating the amount a student is eligible for under the Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant for an academic term:

  1. The tuition charged by the school to the student for an academic term after any applicable financial aid (excluding loans) is applied, not including fees
  2. The number of credits the student is taking for the academic term
  3. The maximum in-state resident tuition rate at UW Madison for a similar program for that academic term

How is “academic term” defined?

Academic term is defined as: A portion of the calendar year which a school designates for instruction and examinations on a certain schedule. For the purposes of the Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant benefit, it is defined as beginning on the first day of any class within the term and ending on the last day there are any exams for that term.

Main Factors That Affect the Maximum Amount Eligible For a Term

Factor 1: Tuition Charged

Tuition charged is defined as the amount that a student would have to pay out of pocket for tuition after any other financial aid or benefits are applied to their tuition costs. Financial aid means any grants or scholarships that the student receives for their education that they would not be required to pay back (i.e., it does not include loans). It does not include fees.

If a student is charged a tuition amount that is less than the UW Madison in-state resident tuition rate for a similar program for the same number of credits for an academic term, then that is the maximum amount for which the student is eligible.

Factor 2: The Number of Credits the Student is Taking

The maximum tuition amount a student is eligible for depends on the number of credits they are taking in an academic term. It affects which UW Madison tuition rate should be applied. Students can use the chart below to determine which calculation method they should use to calculate the maximum for which they are eligible. The UW Madison Maximum Tuition Rates for the current academic year are outlined in Table 1 in Factor 3.

Calculation Method Category A

Number of Credits the Student is Taking this Academic Term: 0.25-11.9

Maximum Tuition Amount Eligible Calculation Method:
# of Credits the Student is Taking Divided By Maximum Per Credit Tuition for a Part Time Term for the student’s  major program (see Table 1) = Maximum Tuition Amount Eligible

Calculation Method Category B

Number of Credits the Student is Taking this Academic Term: 12.0-18.0

Maximum Tuition Amount Eligible Calculation Method:
Maximum Tuition for a Full-Time Academic Term for the student’s major program (see Table 1) = Maximum Tuition Amount Eligible

Calculation Method Category C

Number of Credits the Student is Taking this Academic Term: 18.1+

Maximum Tuition Amount Eligible Calculation Method:
Maximum Tuition for a Full-Time Academic Term for the student’s major program (see Table 1) Plus Per Credit Rate for the Standard major program (see Table 1) Divided By # of credits over 18.0 = Maximum Tuition Amount Eligible

Factor 3: UW Madison Maximum Tuition Rates

The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System sets the UW Madison in-state resident undergraduate tuition rates every academic year. These rates include any applicable tuition differentials for particular undergraduate programs at UW Madison. Students who are enrolled in the same or similar program to a particular undergraduate program offered by UW Madison at another school are eligible for the applicable tuition differential.

Table 1: UW Madison Undergraduate Tuition Rates for Academic Year 2024-20251

Major ProgramMaximum Tuition for a Full-Time TermMaximum Per Credit Tuition for a Part-Time Term2
Standard$5,003.04$416.92
Business Administration$6,503.04$541.92
Certificate in Business$5,153.04$429.42
Engineering$6,303.00$525.25
Nursing$5,753.04$479.42

1 Applicable to academic terms that run between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025.
2 If a student is taking more than 18.0 credits for a term the per credit rate is the “Standard” per credit rate of $416.92, regardless of what Major Program the student is in.

School certifying officials are responsible for identifying if a student is enrolled in a major program that is similar to a major program offered at UW Madison. Most majors are eligible for the Standard major program tuition amounts. Lists of the majors in each Business Administration, Certificate in Business, Engineering and Nursing major programs offered at UW Madison can be found online.

Example Calculations

  1. Scenario: A student is taking 12.0 credits and is enrolled as a History major for an academic term that started January 13th, 2025 and ended May 16th, 2025. They were charged $4,134.68 in tuition, after financial aid was applied.

    Applicable Calculation Method Category: B

    Explanation: The UW Madison maximum tuition rate that applies to this student is $5,003.04, because they are taking a major that falls into the Standard major program and they are enrolled in 12.0 credits, which is the minimum needed to be a full-time term under this benefit. However, because the tuition amount they were charged is lower than the UW Madison maximum tuition rate, that is maximum they will receive under this benefit.

    Total Amount Eligible: $4,134.68
  2. Scenario: A student is taking 3.0 credits and is enrolled as an Accounting major for an academic term that started January 3rd, 2025 and ended January 24th, 2025. They were charged 1,750.41 in tuition, after financial aid was applied.

    Applicable Calculation Method Category: A

    Explanation: The UW Madison maximum tuition rate that applies to this student is per-credit rate, because the student is taking 3.0 credits, that applies to majors in the Business Administration program because students in the Accounting major at UW Madison are charged the tuition differential for the Business Administration program. The Business Administration per credit rate is $541.92, multiplied by 3.0 means that the UW Madison maximum amount is $1,625.76. Since this is less than the tuition the student was charged for the term, that is the maximum they will receive.

    Total Amount Eligible: $1,625.76
  3. Scenario: A student is taking 19.0 credits and is enrolled as a Mechanical Engineering major for an academic term that started September 4th, 2024 and ended December 10th, 2024. They were charged $10,786.90 in tuition, after financial aid was applied.

    Applicable Calculation Method Category: C

    Explanation: The UW Madison maximum tuition rate that applies is the full-time rate for majors in the Engineering major program of $6,303.00, because they are in a major that is part of the Engineering major program, plus $416.92 for the 1.0 additional credit over 18.0 which equals $6,719.92. Since this amount is less than the tuition they were charged for that term, that is the maximum they will receive.

    Total Amount Eligible: $6,719.92
  4. Scenario: A student is taking 7.0 credits and is enrolled as a Nursing major for an academic term that started February 3rd, 2025 and ended on May 9th, 2025. They were charged $3,066.42 in tuition, after financial aid was applied.

    Application Calculation Method Category: A

    Explanation: The UW Madison maximum tuition rate that applies is the per credit rate for part-time terms for the Nursing major program. This rate is $479.42 per credit, multiplied by the 7.0 credits, is equal to $3,355.94. The tuition the student was charged for the academic term is lower than the UW Madison tuition rate at $3,066.42 and therefore is the amount the student will receive.

    Total Amount Eligible: $3,066.42.

8.0 Full-Time Academic Term Cap

Wisconsin law limits the number of academic terms/credits that a student can use this benefit for to 8.0 full-time academic terms. If a student applies for the benefit for an academic term, but only has the eligibility left to cover the tuition charged for part of that term, then they will only receive the partial payment. For example, a student is applying for an academic term where they take 12.0 credits in a term that started February 3rd, 2025 and ended May 9th, 2025 and were majoring in Environmental Science. This term would use 1.0 academic terms of the benefit, generally speaking. The student only has the eligibility left to cover 0.5 of an academic term. They were charged $4,500.32 in tuition, after financial aid was applied. If the student had 1.0 academic terms of eligibility left, then they would receive an amount that is equivalent to the full amount they were charged in tuition because it is lower than the UW Madison full-time tuition rate for Standard programs of $5,003.04. However, because they only have 0.5 of a term of eligibility left, the maximum tuition amount they can receive for this academic term is $3,126.90, which is equivalent to the per credit rate for Standard major programs (416.92) multiplied by the number of credits for a 0.5 part-time term (7.5).

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