Nearly 70% of WISLI Participants Secure Funding.
In Summer 2026, participants received support from a range of sources, including WISLI scholarships, home institutions, and external fellowships and grants.
Cost of Attendance
Tuition
The maximum cost of tuition at WISLI 2027 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 also vary for students enrolled in certain UW–Madison schools or colleges whose programs assess different tuition levels.
Student fees are separate from the cost of tuition, but all charges will appear together on your student account balance. See the sections below for details on applicable fees and funding opportunities.
Student Fees
Segregated Fees: UW–Madison will assess segregated fees in addition to tuition. In 2026, the summer segregated fee was $415. The 2027 rate will be posted once available. Segregated fees support access to university services and resources, including UW–Madison library databases, career services, University Health Services, and other student programs and benefits.
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 International Student Services website for more information on expected fees, and reach out to them (iss@iss.wisc.edu) or the Bursar’s Office with questions.
Other 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.
Billing and Payment
Payment Deadline: All payments for program fees are due to the University of Wisconsin–Madison by the first Friday of classes.
Refunds: 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.
Third-party Payments: If someone else (a sponsor) will be paying your tuition to attend WISLI, please review the following procedures. Please note that WISLI does not accept Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Grants.
Funding Opportunities
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.
WISLI Tuition Scholarship
The WISLI Tuition Scholarship covers 50% of tuition for language study at WISLI. Funding is limited and competitive, and not all applicants will receive an award. Many students combine a WISLI Tuition Scholarship with grants, scholarships, or support from their home institution.
The application for a WISLI Tuition Scholarship is separate from the WISLI program application. Applicants interested in tuition support must submit both applications. Applications for Summer 2027 will open this fall.
Home Institution Financial Aid
Check with advisors and mentors about funding opportunities through your department, college, or school at your home institution.
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 to your home institution. Policies vary by institution, so begin this process early.
The WISLI Tuition Scholarship was a decisive factor. If it hadn’t been for this funding opportunity, I wouldn’t have been able to afford joining WISLI this summer, not even with the summer stipend granted by my home institute.
Additional Resources
- 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 2026 – Spring 2027 UW–Madison transfer students)
- Summer Finish (only open to UW–Madison students who apply to graduate by Summer 2027)
- UW–Madison Library Resource: Recommended Funding Databases for Undergraduates
- UW–Madison Database Resource: Funding for Undergraduate Studies at UW–Madison
- 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.
- 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