The maximum cost of tuition for most students at WISLI 2026 is $5,000, less any scholarships and/or fee remissions you may receive. This cost may be lower for current UW-Madison students and Wisconsin and Minnesota residents. Tuition rates may vary for students enrolled in certain UW–Madison schools or colleges whose programs assess different tuition levels.
New Student Document Fee: UW-Madison will charge an Official Document Fee to any student who has never taken a course at UW-Madison. The $130 fee will be assessed only one time per student, with the benefit of unlimited transcript orders.
International Students: Additional fees may apply (e.g., international services fee, international tuition fee) that are not typically covered by grants. Please review the WISLI international students page and view this International Students Fees infographic for more information. Please contact International Student Services or the Bursar’s Office with questions.
Additional Costs: Students may need to purchase textbooks and the appropriate equipment for classes. The program does not cover housing, health insurance, and other healthcare costs.
Third-party Payments: If someone pay your tuition to attend WISLI, please review the following procedures.
Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) helps unlock grants and scholarships, and other aid to make WISLI more affordable. Submit the quick and easy form early to maximize your funding options. Learn more about FAFSA.
Scholarships and Fellowships
WISLI Tuition Scholarship
The WISLI Tuition Scholarship covers 50% of the tuition for language study at WISLI.
Many students combine this award with a grant or financial from their home institution to cover the full tuition cost. The scholarship will be applied directly to students' tuition accounts.
The application cycle for Summer 2026 is now open through February 1, 2026.
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
A limited number of FLAS awards are available for summer 2026 through UW-Madison. FLAS covers $5,000 of WISLI tuition and includes a $3,500 living stipend. Applicants will be more competitive candidates if they can apply for a FLAS at their home institution.
The application cycle for Summer 2026 is now open through February 1, 2026.
Southeast Asian Flagship Languages Initiative (SEAFLI)
The 2026 SEAFLI program allows Boren Scholars and Fellows to learn Indonesian, Thai, or Vietnamese at WISLI and then study abroad in-country in the fall.
Deadline to apply for Boren Fellowship: January 21, 2026; Deadline to apply to Boren Scholarship: January 28, 2026. Check with your Campus Representative for your university’s on-campus deadline.
Home Institution Financial Aid
Check with your advisors or mentors about funding opportunities through your department or school at your home institution. WISLI does not accept Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Grants.
You may also contact your home school’s financial aid office to ask about the process of obtaining a Consortium Agreement to cover the cost of WISLI. Once approved, your aid will be sent to you to pay UW–Madison (the host institution). After WISLI, you can request an official transcript to transfer your credits back to your home institution.
SASLI Half Fee Remissions
The SASLI Half Fee Remission covers half of your tuition (maximum $2,500) and is open to all SASLI applicants. These highly competitive scholarships are intended to support students with clear academic or career goals related to South Asia and continued language study.
This award uses the same application form as the WISLI Tuition Scholarship, so you can apply for both at the same time using the same materials. While it’s possible to receive both awards, each is reviewed separately, and due to limited funds, receiving both is not likely.
SEALC Scolarships
SEALC Scholarships provide up to $2,500 in tuition support for SEASSI students enrolled at any university, including international students. These competitive scholarships are intended to support students with clear academic or career goals related to Southeast Asia and continued language study.
This award uses the same application form as the WISLI Tuition Scholarship, so you can apply for both at the same time using the same materials. It is possible to receive both awards, though each is reviewed separately through its own selection process.
Additional Rescources
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For UW-Madison Undergraduate Students
- Visit the UW-Madison Summer Term website for information on scholarship opportunities, including the UW-Madison Undergraduate Scholarship for Summer Study (available to UW-Madison undergraduate degree-seeking students).
- Transfer Scholars Summer Award (only open for Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 UW-Madison transfer students)
- Summer Finish (only open to UW-Madison students who apply to graduate by Summer 2026)
- UW-Madison Library Resource: Recommended Funding Databases for Undergraduates
- UW-Madison Database Resource: Funding for Undergraduate Studies at UW-Madison
For Lifelong Adult Learners
- Resource: 3 tips for securing scholarships as a returning adult student
- The Scholarships for Nontraditional Students website has funding information on scholarships for returning adult students at UW-Madison
- Some private loan lenders that offer programs that could be used for WISLI. A potential borrower can use FASTChoice as an online comparison tool.
- UW-Madison Library Date Resource for those who are not currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program.
Other Resources Based on UW-Madison Student Status
- COS Pivot: Offers several databases for approximately 25,000 private and federal funding sources. Grants in the non-science areas are included. (Note: You must set up a personal login account using your wisc.edu email – free to UW-Madison clientele – through the COS Workbench feature for some of the COS Pivot services, however, a login is not necessary to use the database.)
- Funding for Graduate Students : Subscription Databases/Search Engines
- Funding for International Students : Subscription Databases/Search Engines
Tuition Payment Policies
- All payments for program fees are due to the University of Wisconsin-Madison by the first Friday of classes.
- No tuition/fee refunds will be issued after the first Friday of classes.
- No refunds will be issued to students who miss a portion of the program due to academic dismissal.
- WISLI does not issue refunds on the $25 application fee except in the event of class cancellations.
- Please note that WISLI does not accept Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Grants.