Students admitted to the Wisconsin Idea Principal Preparation Program may be eligible for the Barbara S. and Glenn T. Thompson Graduate Award as well as the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Fellowships and Scholarships.
Barbara S. and Glenn T. Thompson Graduate Award
The Wisconsin Idea Principal Preparation Program acknowledges the pressing need for skilled educational leaders, particularly in rural communities. To cultivate the next generation of principals and remove financial barriers to advanced education, we provide substantial scholarship support for qualified candidates.
This prestigious scholarship program awards eight $8,000 scholarships annually to candidates working in rural schools upon their enrollment. These scholarships help overcome the financial challenges of graduate education while supporting leaders who will improve rural schools and communities.
For this scholarship, school rurality is defined as being part of a school district with a locale classification of town (31, 32, 33) or rural (41, 42, 43), according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The Wisconsin Public School Districts that meet this criteria for the 2025-2026 admission cycle are found in this Tableau Viz.
Scholarship applications become available to students after they have been admitted to the program. Candidates employed by rural school districts receive priority consideration, reflecting our commitment to strengthening leadership in underserved areas where the need is greatest.
Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis Fellowships and Scholarships
Applications for ELPA scholarships and fellowships are completed via the WiSH system. When applying, refer to the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Scholarship Application. The application system for Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis opens on March 1 and closes on April 15 each year. Applications are considered in early May each year and awarded for the following academic year. Please note that you need to apply to the program at least two months before the application deadline to allow ample time for submitting any scholarship applications.
You can find a list of ELPA scholarships on the ELPA website under the Admissions and Aid section.
To learn more about these opportunities, interested applicants can contact Program Director Tina Salzman at tmsalzman@wisc.edu or inquire through the form below.