House Fellow Alumni Association

The Wisconsin Alumni Association’s House Fellow Affiliate Group was formed in 2015 to raise money to use for scholarships for current House Fellows. Current and former House Fellows will have opportunities to connect, share memories and experiences. Opportunities for mentoring and networking will be fostered.

“Nothing that the professor or laboratory can do for the student can take the place of daily close companionship... in the intimate communal life of the dormitories,” observed President Charles R. Van Hise in 1904. Over a century later, this statement continues to resonate with current and former UW-Madison House Fellows. House Fellows continue to be that critical/vital link between campus and their residents, helping to support the Wisconsin Idea individually and collectively in the houses of the residence halls.

House Fellows help form connections between what transpires inside and outside of the classroom. This is accomplished by fostering relationships between and among those living in residence halls, professors and campus organizations. The role of a House Fellow is as much a calling as it is a job — often times more work than study and always memorable. Lifelong friendships are formed, not to mention a few marriages between House Fellows!

As former House Fellows, we recognize the significance this position had in our lives, and believe that a scholarship fund dedicated for House Fellows will help to offset some of the cost of college attendance enabling current House Fellows to focus on their studies and residents. Though the compensation is different than years ago in terms of tuition remission, House Fellows are one of the highest paid student positions on campus and are paid commensurate with similar positions in other colleges.

Our primary goal is to provide annual scholarships for a few of the 166 House Fellows working in UW residence halls. Use the link below to donate directly to the Matching Dollar House Fellow Scholarship Fund. The first $10,000 collected will be matched by the UW-Foundation. The WAA House Fellow Alumni Association will award current House Fellows up to $20,000 in scholarships each year.
Our collective contributions over $10,000 will be placed in an endowed scholarship fund for House Fellows. Once this fund reaches $25,000, the interest generated will go toward additional scholarships.

If you or a group of former House Fellows would like to establish an endowed scholarship for a particular house or residence hall, or create an endowment in memory of or to honor someone, please contact the WAA: House Fellow Board at housefellow@uwalumni.com for details about how to do so.

Give Today

The WAA: House Fellow Alumni Association scholarships will be awarded as part UW Housing’s ROSE (Recognition of Outstanding Student Employees) Award Ceremony each April. Current House Fellows with at least one semester of experience who exemplify UW Housing Core Values (i.e., Care, Creativity, Excellence, Integrity, Optimism, Respect and/or Stewardship) will be considered for these scholarships. We will work with the UW Department of Housing to make sure that applicants receiving scholarships are worthy recipients. House members living in residence halls can endorse their House Fellow for consideration by submitting a written, digital, musical or spoken word nomination that describes how the person exemplifies one or more of the core values.

Contact the WAA: House Fellow Alumni Association via email at housefellow@uwalumni.com. You can also connect with other current and former House Fellows through our Facebook group, UW Madison House Fellows.