2000-2001 was the fifth year that the $2,250 cap was placed on the Academic Excellence
Scholarship (AES) freshmen recipients. There were 763 freshman scholars under this cap requirement
utilizing $836,276 of the program's funds. In 1999-2000, 736 freshman scholars required $802,587 to
fund their scholarships. The award cap was initiated to control spending. Now that the tuition cap
has been in place for five years, increases in program spending, due to tuition increases, have
stabilized. Cost per freshman was $1,090 in 1999-2000. In 2000-2001, cost per freshman was $1,097.
Please note that $1,125 of the $2,250 per student scholarship is funded by the Higher Educational
Aids Board (HEAB) AES appropriation. The college or university the recipient attends funds the other
$1,125. HEAB continues to give attention to any possible trends that reflect that the cap is
discouraging students from accepting the scholarship.
Criteria described in the statute for alternate students was modified, effective for the
2000-2001 academic year. Prior to the statutory change, a student could be considered an alternate
only if he or she had the same cumulative grade point average (GPA) as the student(s) designated as
recipients of the scholarship. The modification to the statute allows for the naming of a student
with the next highest cumulative GPA as an alternate, if the high school uses a
weighted grading system. As of July 15, 2001 there were 79 more scholars named as alternates for the
2001-2002 academic year than there were at the end of the 2000-2001 academic year.
Seven tables are attached showing the final figures for 2000-2001 along with preliminary data for
2001-2002.
- Tables I, II and III present enrollment by sector (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Technical
Colleges and Wisconsin Independent Colleges and Universities). These figures represent the students
who received AES Program funds.
- Tables IV and V present financial need related information by sector. The average contribution
and adjusted gross income (AGI) figures are for AES Program recipients who also received other State
of Wisconsin funded financial assistance (Wisconsin Higher Education Grant, Wisconsin Tuition Grant,
Talent Incentive Program Grant and Wisconsin Indian Grant). The figures in the HEAB AES Amount
column are the scholarship funds administered by HEAB. This amount is matched by the school that the
student attends in order to fully fund the scholarship award.
- Table VI presents general information such as the number of scholars using their award to attend
a Wisconsin college or university.
- Table VII gives preliminary information for 2001-2002 freshmen.
A survey sent to students who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in the spring of 2001 and who
should have entered a post-secondary school in the fall of 2001 reflected the following:
Of the 994 students who have been offered the Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES) as original
recipients or as alternates, 816 have sent responses to our request for information on where they
are attending college. Of the 816, 129 were alternates.
708 have informed us they are attending a participating Wisconsin School.
105 have informed us they are attending an out-of-state school.
Responses:
Question 1: Did the AES influence your decision to attend a Wisconsin school rather than an
out-of-state school?
| |
Yes |
No |
| Independent Colleges/Universities |
56 |
66 |
| Technical Colleges |
4 |
8 |
| University of Wisconsin |
312 |
261 |
| Total |
372 |
335 |
Question 2: Did the AES influence you to attend a different WI school than you had
originally planned?
| |
Yes |
No |
| Independent Colleges/Universities |
10 |
111 |
| Technical Colleges |
2 |
10 |
| University of Wisconsin |
34 |
541 |
| Total |
46 |
662 |
Question 3: Did the AES allow you to attend college when you otherwise may not have?
| |
Yes |
No |
| Independent Colleges/Universities |
34 |
87 |
| Technical Colleges |
7 |
5 |
| University of Wisconsin |
57 |
518 |
| Total |
98 |
610 |
Students who first received the Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES) as freshmen in 1997-98 were
surveyed at the end of their fourth year in college. Surveys were sent to 939 students. The three
main questions asked of them were concerned with the school the students attended, whether receiving
the AES had an impact on the student's choice of school, and whether the student plans to remain in
Wisconsin to pursue his or her career.
Students responding to date total 335.
Totals attending each type of institution are shown in the tables below.
Results of questions about the influenc of the AES are:
Question 1: Did receiving the AES affect your decision on which college to attend?
| |
Yes |
No |
Total |
| Independent Colleges/Universities |
23 |
16 |
39 |
| Technical Colleges |
|
2 |
2 |
| University of Wisconsin |
172 |
60 |
232 |
| Out of State Colleges |
3 |
59 |
62 |
| Total |
198 |
137 |
335 |
Question 2: Do you plan to be a Wisconsin resident for most of your career?
| |
Yes |
No |
Not Sure |
Total |
| Independent Colleges/Universities |
67 |
41 |
19 |
127 |
| Technical Colleges |
67 |
18 |
16 |
101 |
| University of Wisconsin |
28 |
8 |
3 |
39 |
| Out of State Colleges |
10 |
34 |
12 |
56 |
| Total |
174 |
101 |
50 |
325 |
