Tuesday, June 24, 2025
If you doubt how meaningful a scholarship can be to a high school student, just ask Wy’Yana Adams.
“It was scholarships that made the difference between dreaming and doing,” said Wy’Yana, who graduated from Rufus King International High School this month and plans to study health science at Spelman College in Atlanta in the fall. She was offered $226,000 to continue her education. Being offered scholarships not only will help her achieve her career goals after college, it allowed her to focus on her goals during her senior year, she told the crowd assembled in front of MPS Central Services on Monday, June 23.
Wy’Yana is among the record number of 1,056 MPS graduates this year who were offered a total of $113 million in scholarships and grants to continue their education. She spoke at the celebration Monday where the grand totals were revealed.
“The entire Milwaukee community can be very proud of this year’s graduates for all that they have accomplished and the support they have received to further their education,” said Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius. “This record-breaking year would not have been possible without the incredible educators and staff in our schools who worked with our students to help them achieve academically and develop as young adults. When staff, families, students, and partners work together to support students, remarkable things can happen.” 
The $113 million in scholarship and grant offers matched the second-highest total at MPS since the district began tracking the awards in 2012. It is the fourth year that students in the district were offered more than $100 million for their post-secondary education.
Eighteen MPS high schools logged more than $1 million each in scholarship and grant offers, another record.
As of June 20, the MPS Class of 2025 has a completion rate of 62% for the FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. That surpasses last year’s MPS completion rate, and it also surpasses the national average of 52% and the Wisconsin completion rate of 44%.
The MPS Class of 2025 is the first group of students to participate in Milwaukee Direct Admit, which allows students to apply to both Milwaukee Area Technical College and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in less than five minutes.
Martin Ruvalcaba, who graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School, was offered $434,000; he will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a full scholarship to become an environmental engineer. Since he was an MPS fourth grader at U.S. Grant School learning about climate change, Martin said, he has wanted to work to help the environment. MPS staff not only guided him, they reassured him as he worried about his post-secondary plans, he said.
Mei Lan Wang, a South Division High School graduate, also will attend UW-Madison in the fall; like Martin, her tuition and room and board also are covered, thanks to the $103,000 she was offered. “The shear number of forms, deadlines, and requirements can feel extremely intimidating,” Mei Lan said, who called UW her dream college.
“The college and career center provided valuable guidance throughout this intricate process, taking a weight off my shoulders,” Mei Lan said. She credited the staff with “making my dreams that once felt completely unrealistic my reality.”
Wy’Yana, Martin, and Mei Lan were introduced by their MPS College and Career Center advisors, who have worked closely with the students to help them reach their post-secondary goals. 
MPS has more than 20 College and Career Centers in schools, where staff members help students with scholarship applications, college tours, résumé writing, job searches, and more. MPS also serves its high schools without centers—all MPS students in grades 9-12 have access to school counselors and a scholarship coordinator.
Darryl Jackson, who represents District 3 on the Milwaukee Board of School Directors, acknowledged the hard work on the part of students, families, and MPS staff to bring the district’s graduates to this point. “Students, always remember that MPS is committed to preparing you for success beyond the classroom. Your accomplishments reflect the foundation that we built together, and your future is filled with limitless possibilities,” Jackson said.