Office of Student Financial Aid

FASTrack

FASTrack is no longer available and was last offered to incoming students during the 2022-23 academic year. Future Badgers should refer to Bucky's Tuition Promise and Bucky's Tuition Promise PLUS.

About FASTrack

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What is FASTrack?

The FASTrack program is our Financial Aid Security Track for Wisconsin Residents enrolled in an on-campus program at UW-Madison.

It is designed to assist Badgers from low-income households pay for college through a combination of grants, scholarships, and work-study. The programs commit to meeting a student’s financial need for four consecutive years for incoming freshmen and 2 years for new transfer students.

How long can a student participate in FASTrack?

Benefits from participating are guaranteed for four (4) consecutive years or eight (8) consecutive semesters (fall/spring) for incoming freshmen and two (2) years or four (4) semesters (fall/spring) for new transfer students, not including summer terms.

Some financial aid for the summer term is also available to FASTrack students (usually enough to cover about 3 credits) and those summer terms are not included when we count total semesters of eligibility.

What is financial need?

Financial need is defined as your Cost of Attendance (COA) at UW-Madison minus your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the number your FAFSA calculates.

FASTrack Offers

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What grants/scholarships will a FASTrack student receive?

Students are offered both their full federal and state grant eligibility and UW-Madison meets the rest of their financial need through various institutional grants and scholarships. Federal work-study is also included.

How do private scholarships affect a FASTrack student’s financial aid offer?

Because a student cannot receive more than their financial need, grants are decreased to make room for private scholarships. Overall, the student doesn’t receive less funding, but cannot receive more than their financial need each academic year.  Students should inform us if they are receiving a scholarship as soon as possible.

What if the financial aid offer doesn’t cover a FASTrack student's full costs to attend?

FASTrack is committed to covering a student’s full financial need, which most times will help pay for tuition and fees, housing expenses, food, required course material, miscellaneous costs, travel, etc.  However, because it cannot cover a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), students will need to budget accordingly.

While a FASTrack Scholar...

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Are the monthly workshops required?

Although they are not mandatory, the goal of the monthly workshops is to support students beyond providing financial aid.

These workshops provide students the opportunity to connect with other FASTrack students over a meal while learning about different campus and community resources. Some of the workshop topics include information on funding study abroad experiences, funding graduate school, stress management and resume building.

See our event listings to the right for upcoming workshops.

Will a FASTrack student receive financial aid if they decide to enroll for summer?

Yes, summer financial aid is available to FASTrack students that have completed at least one semester at UW-Madison and are enrolled in at least three credits, which will be paid for through grant funds. Work-study and loans may also be offered to you. You can use the loans to cover additional expenses, however, the loans may not be enough to cover your costs for the entire summer.

There is no application needed for summer financial aid if you’re taking the classes at UW-Madison.

Another option for summer school is to take classes on another campus (such as Madison College or another UW system school). If you’d like to do this, please be sure to consult your academic advisor. You will also need to complete and submit additional paperwork called a consortium agreement.

You will not get as much financial aid over the summer as you do during the academic year – plan accordingly.

Can a FASTrack student study abroad?

Yes, FASTrack students are provided funding to study abroad. We encourage students to plan early and find programs that match the cost of attending UW-Madison to avoid taking on large amounts of student loan debt to cover excess costs (studyabroad.wisc.edu).  Students should also make sure to apply for study abroad-specific scholarships (https://www.studyabroad.wisc.edu/scholarships.html) which can reduce or replace any offered loans

Can a FASTrack student participate in a co-op?

As co-op students tend to only enroll in one-credit during the semester they participate, the only financial aid a co-op student may be eligible to receive is the Federal Pell Grant. And if needed, co-op students will be automatically granted an additional semester of financial aid eligibility to complete their degree.

What academic standards must a FASTrack student maintain to continue receiving financial aid?

All students receiving financial aid, including through FASTrack must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Your academic record is reviewed at the end of each academic year (late May/early June).

What are Success Services

FASTrack Scholars will have priority access to the Office of Student Financial Aid’s Success Services. Success Services include success coaching, peer mentorship, a workshop series, and basic needs support. Learn more about accessing each resource here: https://financialaid.wisc.edu/success/

Upcoming FASTrack Events

Using Your Federal Work-Study

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What is work-study?

Work-study is federally funded financial aid in the form of part-time employment. Students can work on-campus or with approved off-campus non-profit or small business employers to earn money for additional educational expenses. See the Work-study FAQ on our website for more information.

How do students receive payment from participating in work-study?

The money earned through work-study is not disbursed to students directly nor is it applied towards tuition or housing; to receive this money, students must earn it through working in a work-study position. Students will be paid a portion of their work-study award every two weeks through a paycheck, based on their hourly wage and the number of hours worked. Students can decide how to spend the money earned with each paycheck depending on their needs at the time. The minimum wage on campus is $10.00/hour.

Are FASTrack students required to work?

We strongly encourage it. Working while in school can be a great way to not only help pay for living expenses, but also to be involved within the UW and local Madison community, meet new friends, discover new passions, learn about oneself, and gain valuable professional skills.

What types of jobs are available?

Work-study can be earned through any student part-time position offered by UW-Madison departments.  In addition, work-study can also be earned through a position at some local non-profit organizations and small businesses within the state of Wisconsin.  Most UW-Madison employers strongly prefer to hire students who have work-study awards and many community based partners will only hire students with a work-study award.

How do students find a job?

Visit the UW Student Jobs website to find hundreds of job opportunities available and it continues to be updated every day! Work-Study can be earned from any position offered at UW-Madison. You may also earn your Work-Study award from a position at some local non-profit organizations and small businesses within the state of Wisconsin. To find more information about these categories, visit the Federal Work-Study page on the Student Jobs website.

When should students start looking for a job?

The earlier the better! While UW-Madison jobs are posted throughout the year, the vast majority are posted throughout August and filled prior to the beginning of the Fall semester. It is recommended to check the Student Jobs website daily leading up to the beginning of school so that students can find the best opportunity for them.  Job openings with both UW and non-UW employers continue to be posted daily on the Student Jobs website throughout the year.

What if the job is not work-study eligible; is that ok?

Yes, although we do strongly encourage working either on-campus or at local community non-profits or small businesses that are work-study eligible. If the student chooses a non-work-study employer, the student would not earn any funds awarded from their work-study award, but it would remain in the award to represent the FASTrack work expectation.

Can FASTrack students receive other financial aid in place of work-study?

No. Whether the student chooses not to work or works in a non-work-study position, as a FASTrack participant, it is not possible to switch work-study for another grant, scholarship, or loan.

Can students study on the job?

The name work-study can be misleading. Work-study jobs are no different from any other job in which students are expected to work in exchange for wages. Work-study jobs are real jobs that play an integral role in an organizations daily functions.