One element of that story, Brennan says, is how she came to attend UW–Madison. Her mother’s death upended her family’s stability and financial security, raising questions about Brennan’s ability to afford college. She was accepted to multiple universities, including the University of Notre Dame, but only UW–Madison offered a financial aid package that made attending college realistic.
Brennan’s college costs are being covered by Bucky’s Pell Pathway, named for the university’s beloved mascot. The initiative, now in its second year, is designed to assist Badgers from low-income Wisconsin households. It pledges to meet the full financial need without loans for incoming first-year students for four consecutive years and for transfer students for two consecutive years. In most cases, it covers tuition and fees, housing expenses, food, required course material, travel and other miscellaneous costs.
“My life was very hard and very stressful growing up,” Brennan says. “It has been such a relief to not have to worry about paying for college after everything I’ve gone through already.”
Read the full article online: https://news.wisc.edu/through-her-story-of-loss-and-resilience-uw-freshman-hopes-to-help-others-find-their-light-in-their-darkness/