For information for students about financial aid, please visit the Financial Aid website associated with the campus you are attending or visit UW Help for general financial aid information and resources.
Lawton Retention Grants, Advanced Opportunity Program/Advance Opportunity Fellowship Updates
In light of the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision Rabiebna, et al. v. Higher Educational Aids Board, et al., 2026 WI 20, the Universities of Wisconsin will not award new Lawton and Advanced Opportunity Program/Advance Opportunity Fellowship (AOP/AOF) grants under the current statutory race conscious criteria, effective as of June 18, 2026. Grants for the 2026-27 academic year that were already offered prior to the June 18 ruling will be honored. In addition, the Universities of Wisconsin will develop new guidance allowing AOP/AOF grants to be distributed where race or ethnicity is no longer used as to determine eligibility.
Information for Parents/Students
Note: This QNA is intended to provide general guidance and will not address every question or scenario. If you have questions about your specific circumstance, please contact your financial aid office.
A similar Wisconsin grant program used by private colleges and technical colleges was recently ruled unconstitutional. We must adapt and comply with the law. Our priority is to provide students with certainty about financial assistance, which means we are redesigning these programs to ensure both equal opportunity and legal compliance following state and federal court rulings.
Students should contact their financial aid office to confirm that they received an award, and not just an estimate before this date.
Grants are made on a one-year basis only. If before the June 18 ruling you received an offer letting you know you would be receiving a Lawton or AOP/AOF —not just an estimate or statement that you were under consideration--that means you were formally offered your grant award and will still receive it for this academic year. For future years, we will ensure aid awards are legally compliant under federal and state law. We remain dedicated to ensuring equal opportunity for all disadvantaged students and have developed a list of other existing need-based programs and grants for you to apply to during this transition.
Grants where you have received an offer of award will be honored. Students should contact their financial aid office to confirm that they received an award, and not just an estimate before this date.
Yes. Unawarded funds from these programs are being reallocated to allow additional financial aid awards to be made through different programs. Those programs have different criteria, but your financial aid office can point you to programs that may be available to you. It is important to note that most financial aid offices provide you with all available funds in a way that is automatic and based solely on your completed financial aid application materials. Financial aid offices will generally provide these funds based on the application materials you have already submitted to the offices.
We recognize the challenge this poses to students and our universities are working individually with students to find alternatives. Please reach out to your financial aid office to learn more about options available to you. Funds that were already promised to you prior to June 18, 2026 will still be provided so there is no loss of promised financial aid.