“Federal financial aid, including the Pell Grant, has been essential in helping me pursue my college education. For the past two years and the upcoming year, this support has covered the majority of my schooling, reduced financial stress and allows me to focus on my studies. With additional grants, I’ve been able to stay on track toward graduation and explore opportunities that will shape my future career. Without this aid, attending college would have been significantly more difficult.”

Emma Stopen
UW-Oshkosh (Elementary Education)
Edgerton, Wisconsin

“The Pell Grant provided the invaluable support that allowed me to fully engage in my interdisciplinary studies and surrounding community at UWL. I am now a senior revising a journal article I am preparing to publish and am now poised to pursue law school in fall 2026. Going forward, I intend on using my education to create meaningful change through public service.”

Adrian Moreno
UW-La Crosse

“For each of my two years at UWM, the Pell grant has helped cover about 73% of my student tuition and fees. This financial support is the reason I stayed in-state and decided to go to university in the first place. As a first-generation college student, I cannot stress how critical this has been to the success I have found both professionally and personally as it has allowed me to focus on my education and build the confidence to pursue my goals wholeheartedly.”

Amber Moreno-Padilla
UW-Milwaukee

“Being a recipient of federal financial aid has enabled me to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a physical therapist. Without receiving federal aid, I would not be in the financial position to pursue a doctorate degree. I also know, through my work in the Office of Student Financial Aid, how Pell Grants and other forms of financial aid create opportunities that students would have never had without them. I want to ensure these same opportunities that were provided to me are provided to future students, because I know how life-changing they can be.”

Izi Knoernschild
UW-Madison(Doctor of Physical Therapy)
Madison, WI

“My name is Kya Stanczyk and I am entering my third year at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as a Geospatial Analysis and Technology major.

As someone who has received assistance through federal financial aid, it would be fair to say that the weight of trying to balance economic, academic, and social aspects of my life has been relieved and is far more manageable. Federal aid has allowed me to focus more on being a successful, full-time student who is able to prioritize academia and growth as a young adult as opposed to the stress of figuring out how to pay for college in the spur of the moment.

With great thanks to this financial support, I have been able to maintain a healthy social life, stay involved in my community, and receive acknowledgement for my hard work within my courses and my department. I am forever grateful for the opportunities I have been presented and have been able to accept due to federal aid alleviating my financial concerns.”

Kya Stanczyk
UW-Eau Claire(Geospatial Analysis and Technology)

“The truth is that my family and I always assumed I’d be taking a gap year after high school to work full-time and save money for college. But I was encouraged to fill out the FAFSA just to see if we qualified for any types of aid. It turned out that I received need-based federal grants that covered most of my tuition for each semester this past year, and a few scholarships covered the rest. One of the draws to UW-Eau Claire was the relative affordability, but it’s fair to say that without my financial aid I simply could not have been able to attend this last year.”

Cameron Ruiz, 
UW-Eau Claire(Psychology major, Sociology minor, Dance Certificate)
Lake Geneva, WI

“When I started college, I was worried about how I would manage all the expenses. Applying for FAFSA each year and receiving loans helped ease much of that financial stress, allowing me to focus on my academics. This support made it possible for me to purchase required textbooks, cover room and board, and maintain a meal plan. It also allowed me to pay for a class that was necessary for earning my certificate, which I may not have been able to afford otherwise.”

Hannah Kraus
UW-Oshkosh(Elementary Education)
Plymouth, WI