Growing up in small towns, on farms and on acreages in between, Wisconsin’s rural youth are connected to the land in ways suburban students cannot imagine. Coming from communities of a few thousand or a few dozen, these students are steeped in the culture of connection. They also are increasingly diverse.
Wisconsin Rural Youth Scholarships help qualified, talented students from Wisconsin’s more than 220 rural high schools (defined by the census bureau) realize their dream of a world class education and allowing them to enroll in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
As tuition increases and financial assistance decreases, these students begin school with an economic disadvantage:
- Rural per capita income is 20 percent less than that in larger metropolitan areas.
- Rural students are 10 percent less likely to graduate from college.
- Only 14 percent of the CALS scholarships and awards include a financial need component.
- Forty percent of CALS students demonstrate significant financial need.
Your generosity makes it possible for rural youth to bring their energy and talent to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and open doors for those who never thought they could afford the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
