UW–Madison alumna Mackenzie Straub, a 2021 graduate in early childhood education from the School of Education, is now teaching third grade in the same elementary school she once attended in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. In a recent campus story, she shares how the Bucky’s Tuition Promise program helped make it possible for her to attend college at UW–Madison and return to her hometown as a teacher.
Straub was part of the first group of students to receive support through Bucky’s Tuition Promise, which launched in 2018. The program covers four years of tuition and segregated fees for incoming UW–Madison students from Wisconsin whose family’s adjusted gross income is $65,000 or less. It also covers two years for eligible transfer students from Wisconsin.
“When my husband died, our future changed dramatically,” says Carol Straub, Mackenzie’s mother. “Bucky’s Tuition Promise was a huge stress relief. We’ll forever be grateful for it.”
In addition to Bucky’s Tuition Promise, UW–Madison now offers two other major financial aid programs for Wisconsin residents. Bucky’s Pell Pathway provides full financial support — beyond tuition — for low-income students who qualify for federal Pell Grants. The Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise Program covers the full cost of attendance for Wisconsin residents who are enrolled members of federally recognized Wisconsin tribes.
Together, these three programs have supported more than 8,000 Wisconsin students since 2018. They are funded through private donations and institutional resources.
“These financial aid programs reflect the Wisconsin Idea,” says Derek Kindle, UW–Madison’s vice provost for enrollment management. “They help ensure that students across the state have access to a UW–Madison education and opportunities after graduation.”
In the story, Straub says it was always her goal to return to her hometown after she got her degree.
“I love this place so much,” she says. “It’s great to be able to run into my students when I’m out in the community — at the grocery store or at sports events. When you live in a community like this, you just know everybody.”
Read the full story here.