¿Habla Español?
Contact Us | Donate | School Report Card | Apply TodayEducating Youth for a Life of Christian Leadership and Service
Below are a few resources that Nativity alumni have access to related to high school support and college access. Please contact Hannah Sternig with any questions regarding these opportunities.
High School Success and College Search Resources
- Upward Bound Marquette– This is comprised of two programs, Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and Science. Upward Bound recruits students starting in 8th grade, and Upward Bound Math and Science recruits students starting in 9th grade. You do not need to be interested in attending Marquette to be a part of this program.
- Upward Bound UWM– Similar to other Upward Bound Programs, this program at UWM prepares students academically and with the skills necessary to be successful in college. They recruit students starting in 9th and 10th grades. Upward Bound programs are designed for first-generation and low income students from the Milwaukee area.
- UW-Madison BEL Program– Pre-college summer business program for high-achieving high school students. It is designed to cultivate a diverse community of business students and leaders. The program spans 3 summers beginning after 10th grade, with students living on the UW-Madison campus each summer.
- Engineering Summer Program at UW Madison-The Engineering Summer Program (ESP) is a free, three-week residential program for rising high school juniors and seniors who are interested in engineering. Participants will experience living on UW-Madison’s campus while getting a sense of what it means to be a Badger Engineer.
- PEOPLE PreCollege Program– This is an opportunity through UW Madison. Students who attend Raegan High School are able to apply.
- QuestBridge– Apply in your Junior year in high school in early spring. This program has a summer component and connects students with scholarships with 55 college and university partners.
- College Possible– Is a program that follows students from high school through their college career giving students support. Students who attend St. Thomas More are eligible, and others schools may be eligible as well.
To help graduates stay connected to Nativity, the Graduate Support team regularly welcomes high school-aged alumni back to campus for Open Gym Nights. On select Wednesday evenings throughout the school year, high school-aged graduates are invited to the Todd Wehr Gymnasium from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for Open Gym.
- All In Milwaukee-All-In Milwaukee is a college completion program that provides financial aid, advising, program and career support to high-potential, limited-income Milwaukee students to complete college, build meaningful careers and transform the Milwaukee community. Applications open in November of a student’s senior year of high-school.
- Grace Scholars-A Scholarship program at Mount Mary University (Female only) for Milwaukee students who demonstrate need. This scholarship covers 85% of tuition and includes support on campus for student success.
- Urban Scholars– A scholarship program at Marquette University for high achieving (GPA 3.4) Milwaukee area students who have financial need and a history of leadership and service. This program specifically targets students who are first-generation college students. This is a full tuition scholarship and applications are typically due on March 1.
- UWM Student Support Services– Works closely with students to develop comprehensive collegiate and professional success skills. We are supported by the U.S. Department of Education TRIO Grant to serve 250 participant students each year with $364,535 in annual grant funding between 2020-2025.
- MKE Scholars– The MKE Scholars program is a scholarship program that is designed exclusively for first year, incoming students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It is our goal to provide our students in the MKE Scholars program with a network of care and support that encourages their persistence towards obtaining their college degree at UW-Milwaukee. All Nativity Alumni are eligible for this program. The program includes substantial support as well as a $1,000 per year scholarship.
- MATC Promise– Full scholarship for students who are income eligible and maintain at least a 2.0.
FAFSA
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a free U.S. government form used to determine a student’s eligibility for federal grants, work-study programs, and loans for college or career school. This form must be filled out every year.
- Here is the official FAFSA website to file
- Sample videos to assist with completing the FAFSA step by step
- Questions about completing the FAFSA as a mixed status family?
- Find helpful information here
- Additional information can be found here (In spanish)
READING YOUR FINANCIAL AID AWARD LETTER
- How much will it actually cost to go to school? (Be sure to look at total cost of attendance MINUS financial aid to get a true sense of cash needed to attend)
- Learn more about reading your financial aid award letter
- Reach out to your college counselor at your high school for assistance reading your financial aid award letter
- Scholarships for the Hispanic/Latino Population
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund- https://www.hsf.net/scholarship Deadline to apply February 15
- Hispanic Heritage Foundation- https://hispanicheritage.org/youth-awards/
- Mexican Fiesta Scholarship- LOCAL ALERT! https://www.mexicanfiesta.org/scholarship/ Closes March 31
- HPGM Scholarship- https://www.hpgm.org/scholarship-program Applications close February 15
- Scholarships for Low Income Individuals
- Scholarships for First Generation Students
When applying for college, all students will need to submit an essay as part of their application. This is the opportunity to explain something about your application, or to share more about yourself as a person. Use the resources below to learn more about writing this essay.
- https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/college-essay
- https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/college-essay-examples
- https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/application-essay-topics
- Work with the college counselors at your school to get advice on writing and revising your essay
- Schedule time with the Grad Support team to get individualized advice on your college admissions essay
Online ACT Prep assistance can be found at the following links:
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (Sample and practice tests)
- Resources directly from the ACT test company (Live and self paced classes included)
- UWM Offers ACT Prep classes and practice tests free of charge for students eligible for Free and reduced lunch
- Most high schools also offer classes to prepare students for taking the ACT
UW System schools are committed to providing full tuition funding for Wisconsin students if they complete the FAFSA and have an Adjusted Gross Income of $62,000 or lower ($55,000 for schools outside UWM and Madison). For more information see this link. Information on Bucky’s Promise (for UW Madison specifically) is here. Please note priority is given to students who complete the FAFSA prior to December 1.
Additionally, there are many colleges that provide “last dollar” funding, which means that once financial aid grants and scholarships are accounted for, the school will cover the remaining tuition. These are great programs to look into, and a list of those programs can be found here. Another list can be found here, however some of these have state residency restrictions.
Use the following links and learn how you can prepare yourself for your first year in college:
Many colleges and universities will have programs that offer support to first-generation and low income students assisting with college navigation and support. TRiO are a group of programs like this that are federally funded. Click the links below to learn more about the programs at each of the schools.