Scholarships and Financial Resources

The Actuarial Science, Risk Management and Insurance Department programs are fortunate to have access to a number of well-funded scholarships, and summer and year-long intern opportunities. Further, many graduate students are supported through teaching and research assistantships.

High School Actuarial Scholarship of $2,000 per year for four years is available for study in actuarial science at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.  The award will be given to a high school senior on the basis of mathematical aptitude and expressed interest in an actuarial career.  Please see our description of the scholarship here. The scholarship is renewable from year to year subject to satisfactory academic performance and continued interest in actuarial science.

An actuary is a professional business executive who applies mathematics and statistics to the design and management of insurance and pension systems.  Contact your mathematics teachers or guidance counselor for more information or you may download the application here.

Undergraduate students in both the actuarial science program and the risk management and insurance program are eligible for a number of scholarships as juniors and seniors. In addition, the actuarial science program offers a number of scholarships to sophomores. Students may apply for these scholarships through the Undergraduate Programs Office at the University of Wisconsin. The deadline for this application is generally about February 15. Through this one application, students apply for the many different scholarships offered by the department (such as the William Bicknell Actuarial Scholarship). 

Another scholarship opportunity for undergraduate students in the actuarial science program is now available from the UW Actuarial Alumni Association.  You may dowload the application here.

Graduate student support is generally offered in conjunction with the admission process. This financial support includes scholarships, teaching and research assistantships, and a very limited number of fellowships. 

The Department is able to support students through the generosity of its alumni and corporate sponsors. The actuarial science program, dating to 1948, has over 1,000 alumni. The risk and insurance program, dating to the 1930s, has over 1,200 alumni. The current corporate sponsors are: 

Actuarial Science Program Corporate Sponsors

  • Allstate Financial
  • Allianz Life Ins Co of North America
  • American Family Insurance Group
  • Aviva
  • CIGNA Foundation
  • CNA Foundation
  • CUNA Mutual Group
  • Deloitte Consulting LLP
  • Ernst & Young
  • JP Morgan/Chase
  • Liberty Mutual/Wausau
  • Milliman USA
  • National Guardian Life Insurance Company
  • Northwestern Mutual Life Foundation
  • Principal Financial Group
  • Sentry Insurance Foundation
  • St Paul Travelers Foundation
  • State Farm Insurance
  • Towers Perrin

Risk Management and Insurance Program Corporate Sponsors

  • American Family Insurance Group
  • Bob Anger
  • David and Nancy Borghesi (Roger Taylor Fund)
  • CNA Insurance Companies
  • CPCU - Dairyland Chapter
  • CPCU - Fox Valley Chapter
  • CPCU - Greater Milwaukee Chapter
  • George Fait
  • Richard Marriott Heins (CUNA Mutual)
  • Loren Mortenson
  • NAIW
  • Northwestern Mutual Life
  • PLUS Foundation
  • RIMS - Wisconsin Chapter
  • Angus Robinson Jr. Memorial Foundation
  • St Paul Travelers Companies Inc
  • Spencer Foundation
  • State Farm Companies Foundation
  • Gerald D. Stephens, CPCU
  • USLICO (Leslie P. Schultz)
  • Wausau Insurance Companies
  • Wisconsin Insurance Association
  • Erv Woller

Additional Financial Resources

InfoEd, Inc. is a database with an extensive listing of various sources for grant money, scholarships, and funding for various levels of research (i.e. pre-doctorate, dissertation, post-doctorate).  The University of Wisconsin - Madison has subscribed to this service for the benefit of its students and faculty and only designated addresses  (i.e. UW-Madison origination) are allowed access.

Other scholarships offered to students majoring in Actuarial Science, Risk Management and Insurance include: