ADULT STUDENTS
Whether you’re starting college for the first time or returning to the classroom after many years away, it’s never too late to earn your degree at UW-Whitewater.
Our admissions, student services, and veteran services teams collaborate in warmly welcoming returning adult students.
EVERYONE HAS A STORY
Unique program offers working adults degree opportunities
A program designed to provide working adults with technical college credits a pathway to a bachelor’s degree, saw its first cohort of graduates in May, 2023.
Resources for parents
Are you a parenting student on campus? UW-Whitewater’s award-winning Children’s Center has supplies that include parenting basics, and toys and trinkets to occupy your little Warhawks while you’re in classes and meetings. If you’re graduating, borrow a cap and gown! Contact ccdirector@uww.edu to learn more.
Credit for prior learning
Adult students at UW-Whitewater have the opportunity to request credit for classes currently available through the catalog.
During the application process, you will work with the program coordinator to determine your eligibility for the program and the courses for which an application is most likely to be successful. This will involve matching classes in the UWW catalog with your work and life experience.
Once you are accepted to the program, you will enroll in an online course. You will enroll in 1.5 - 4.5 credits, 1.5 credit for each course request.
In your online Credit for Prior Learning class, you will put together one portfolio for each class request. The portfolio will be a collection of artifacts and reflections that demonstrate the learning you have already done and how it relates to the learning objectives for the course for which you are requesting credit.
If you complete the portfolio, you will automatically earn credit for the online portfolio class. Your portfolio will also be submitted to an expert in the appropriate field. This evaluator will read the portfolio and determine whether or not sufficient learning has been demonstrated for credit to be earned.
Many different classes across campus have been successfully challenged, including the following:
- Art History
- Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
- Communication
- Computer Science
- Criminology
- Early Childhood
- English
- Foreign Language
- Management
- Marketing
- Media Arts and Game Design
- Physical Education/Coaching
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Special Education
College or Department policy and the expert opinion of faculty and instructors determines whether or not students can seek credit for particular courses. Sometimes an accrediting body prohibits or discourages use of Credit for Prior Learning as well. The following departments are unable to accept CPL toward their major:
- Accounting
- Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health
- Social Work
- The College of Business and Economics primarily works with internship credits
How to apply UW-Whitewater
As an adult student, you’ll still use the traditional University of Wisconsin System Application for Undergraduate Admission.
First step
Start your online Universities of Wisconsin Application.
What to expect next
Within a few days, after you submit your application, you’ll receive an email about setting up an account for our student information system, WINS. You can track your college application progress, such as what documents still might be needed.
If you have questions about applying to UW-Whitewater, contact us »
As a returning adult student, you won’t need to submit your ACT or SAT scores. Instead, we complete a comprehensive review of your application to determine if we believe you can be successful in our academic environment.
We’ll look at factors such as:
● Military training
● Work experience
● Prior education
● Personal motivation
● Commitment to career goals
The UW application for admission will ask you to select what type of undergraduate student you are. Here are some details to help guide you:
New freshman: if you’ve graduated high school but have never attended a college or university since high school.
Transfer student: if you’ve graduated high school, enrolled at a college or university other than UW-Whitewater, and now plan to attend UW-Whitewater.
Re-entry student: if you’ve graduated high school, attended UW-Whitewater as a degree-seeking student and wish to return to UW-Whitewater after an absence of one or more semesters.
Special student: You might classify as a special student if you’re a high school graduate planning to attend UW-Whitewater, but not to earn your first bachelor’s degree.
Examples might include:
- A non-degree-seeking student (such as courses for teaching certification)
- A “guest” student enrolling for no more than six credits
- A student taking prerequisite courses for a UW-Whitewater graduate program
- Someone earning their second bachelor’s degree
Admissions
Returning adult students should apply to UW-Whitewater by:
- May 1 for the fall semester
- Dec. 1 for the spring semester
Financial Aid
We suggest you complete your FAFSA by:
- Jan. 1 for priority financial aid consideration
Financial aid, such as scholarships for adult students, is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to apply early.
