Pioneer Pledge FAQs

The Pioneer Pledge guarantees that the cost of undergraduate, on-campus tuition and segregated fees will be covered for new freshmen attending the Platteville campus who are Pell-eligible and a resident of Wisconsin, Illinois, or Minnesota.

To be eligible, a student must:

• Be a new freshman admitted to UW-Platteville by May 1
• Submit the FAFSA by July 1 and be considered Pell eligible
• Be a resident of Wisconsin, Illinois, or Minnesota*
• Enroll as a full-time student taking classes at the Platteville campus for the fall semester

* Minnesota residents must also submit the Minnesota-Wisconsin Reciprocity form to establish eligibility

There’s no application. Simply complete the application for admission, be admitted to UW-Platteville (Platteville campus), and complete a FAFSA by July 1 at www.fafsa.ed.gov to establish eligibility.

Minnesota residents must also submit the Minnesota-Wisconsin Reciprocity form to establish eligibility. 

The amount awarded to you in grants, scholarships, and the Pioneer Pledge will always equal up to the cost of your tuition. Depending on the timing of when the funds are applied to your student account, the Pioneer Pledge funds may be applied toward another item, such as housing.

The Pioneer Pledge covers the cost of undergraduate on-campus tuition and segregated fees for new freshmen who are Pell eligible and a resident of Wisconsin, Illinois, or Minnesota. The program does not include online students or students attending our branch campus at Baraboo Sauk County.

Please note that the Pioneer Pledge does not cover the following costs:

• Application fee for admission
• Textbooks ordered outside of the UW-Platteville textbook rental program
• Courses outside the standard semester like study abroad, summer courses, or winterim courses
• Housing and meal plans
• New Student Experience fee
• Special course fees, which includes online class fees

Additional aid programs exist for each of these. Please contact the financial aid office for more information.

Students attending less than full time may still qualify for the Pell Grant and state grants, but do not qualify for the Pioneer Pledge.

Yes. The FAFSA is a requirement for program eligibility and must be submitted yearly by July 1.

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is a measure of your family’s overall financial strength, as determined by the federal Department of Education by the FAFSA. The EFC is used to determine your eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant and your overall ‘need’ for other types of aid. The EFC is not the amount your family will have to pay for college.

You must complete the verification process no later than July 1 to establish your eligibility for the Pioneer Pledge.

• Remain in good academic standing
• Maintain full-time enrollment status
• Submit the FAFSA by July 1

The Pioneer Pledge is a commitment to cover tuition and segregated fees for four years of consecutive full-time enrollment. Students who need additional time to complete their degree program should consult the financial aid office for funding options.

Students will need to acknowledge the Pledge requirements annually. Students should monitor their email and PASS checklists for additional information.