Because of our commitment to affordability, most families pay significantly less than the full-time tuition rate. In fact, 98% of full-time students receive some type of financial aid, which is awarded based on academic merit, financial need, and in the forms of scholarships, grants, work-study, or federal loans. This leads to an average out-of-pocket cost of $15,010 compared to the 2023-24 overall sticker price of $43,030 (including room and board) for full-time undergraduate students.
Average Financial Aid Package*
| Total direct cost (including tuition and fees, average housing, and food) | $43,030 |
| Gift aid from federal, state, and/or university | $19,000 |
| Net Cost | $24,030 |
| Federal student loans | $5,500 |
| Work-study | $3,520 |
| Out-of-pocket cost | $15,010 |
*Example shown for a 2023-24 full-time first-year student that lives on campus. This average is provided for illustration purposes only. Actual net cost will vary depending upon multiple individual circumstances such as high school grades, ACT/SAT scores (optional), individual and family income, and scholarship eligibility.
First-year undergraduate student cost and scholarship sheets:
Want to learn what your own costs might be? Use the cost calculator to get an estimate of your cost to attend Viterbo. It's less than you might think.
Scholarship Information and Deadlines
Specific scholarship requirements and eligibility criteria vary a bit for each scholarship below. These scholarships are intended to be renewable unless otherwise noted. Contact Admissions (call 608-796-3010, text 608-530-0112, or email admission@viterbo.edu) or your particular admission counselor with any questions.
Fall 2025 Scholarships Awarded From Your Application for Admissions
Academic Merit Scholarships
Merit scholarships exist for both incoming first-year students and transfer students enrolling full time in traditional undergraduate programs. For more information, select one of the PDFs above.
Alumni Scholarship
$1,000 - renewable for up to three additional years
- Will be awarded to incoming first-year students.
- Students must indicate parent/guardian alumni status on their application for admission.
Diocesan Scholarship
$1,000 - renewable for up to three additional years
- Students must graduate from Diocese of La Crosse or Diocese of Winona Catholic schools in spring 2024 and enroll at Viterbo as full-time traditional undergraduate student in fall 2025.
- Review of admitted students begins Nov. 1, 2024 and will continue through Jan. 15, 2025 so long as funds are available.
Departmental Scholarships
Available for majors in: applied math and analytics, communication disorders and sciences, computer science, criminal and community justice, education, engineering, ethics, culture, and society, psychology, and social work
$2,000 - renewable for up to three additional years
- Will be competitively awarded to full-time first-year students in any of the above majors.
- Review of admitted students begins Nov. 1, 2024 and will continue through Jan. 15, 2025 so long as funds are available.
Local Business Scholarship
$2,000 - renewable for up to three additional years
- Will be competitively awarded to full-time first-year students who declare a major in a Dahl School of Business traditional undergraduate program, including accounting, business administration, data analytics, finance, marketing, or sport management and leadership.
- Students must have graduated from high school in the surrounding La Crosse region (as far west as Houston, Minn., northwest to Winona, Minn., north to Galesville and Melrose, Wis., east to Sparta, Wis., southeast to Cashton, Westby, and Viroqua, Wis., or south to De Soto, Wis.).
- Review of admitted students begins Nov. 1, 2024 and will continue through Jan. 15, 2025 so long as funds are available.
- Recipient must remain in an eligible Dahl School of Business major and remain a full-time student to keep the scholarship.
Other Selective Scholarships That May Be Available
Alumni Children's (Sr. Celestine) Scholarship
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2025
Scholarship amount: Varies
Each year, in the name of Celestine Cepress, FSPA, Viterbo University awards one time scholarship(s) to first-year students or transfer students who are a legal child of a Viterbo University alumna/us. This award is granted through the Viterbo University Alumni Association Board.
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student or transfer student.
- Must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Parent or legal guardian must have earned a degree or completed at least 45 credits at Viterbo.
- Essay related to career interest and preparation.
- Sr. Celestine Alumni Children's Scholarship Application
Clare of Assisi Scholarship
Scholarship Amount: Varies
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student.
- Must be a Catholic woman.
- Major or minor interest in religious studies/theology preferred.
Coulee Region White Cane Club Scholarship
Scholarship amount: Varies (one time)
- Student must enroll at Viterbo University as a full-time undergraduate student in any semester the scholarship is awarded.
- Must be visually impaired, majoring in education of the visually impaired, or be a learning disabled student with visual perception problems.
Edward (Pop) Janke Hope Scholarship
Scholarship amount: Up to $2,000 per year (renewable for three additional years)
- Must be a graduate of Brillion High School (Brillion, Wis.) and be enrolling at Viterbo as a full-time first-year student in the traditional undergraduate programs.
FIRST Robotics/Tech Challenge Scholarship
Scholarship amount: $1,000 (one-time scholarship, competitively awarded)
- Must be a new, incoming first-year engineering student.
- Participation in FIRST Robotics/Tech Challenge Competition.
Father Michael C. Braun Scholarship
Scholarship amount: Varies
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student.
- Must declare a major in religious studies or theology.
- Must demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA.
Health Science Scholarship
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2025
On-campus competition: Feb. 14, 2025
Scholarship amount: $1,000 up to full tuition per year (renewable for three additional years)
Application Requirements: Online Health Science Scholarship Application, which requires an essay and resume.
The Health Science Scholarship awards scholarships to deserving students intending to pursue careers in the health sciences. All students invited to the competition as finalists will receive a minimum of a $4,000 scholarship (over four years). The first place student will receive a four-year, full-tuition scholarship.
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student.
- Must be a pre-health or related health science major (nursing and nutrition sciences excluded).
- Preference for selection of finalists includes: cumulative high school GPA of 3.25 or higher as well as demonstrated success in rigorous coursework.
- For more information visit Health Science Scholarship.
Hope Diocesan Scholarship
Scholarship amount: Varies (renewable for three additional years)
Application Requirements: Letter of recommendation from high school counselor
The Hope Diocesan Scholarship awards an annual, and renewable, scholarship to a La Crosse Diocesan high school senior who enrolls full-time at Viterbo in the fall immediately following their spring graduation. Students must be a current Diocese of La Crosse Catholic Schools high school senior and meet two of the following criterion:
- Secure a letter of recommendation from a high school counselor.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher.
- Have an ACT score of 26 or higher.
J. Senty Families Scholarship
Scholarship amount: Varies (one time)
- Student must enroll at Viterbo University as a full-time undergraduate student in any semester the scholarship is awarded.
- First priority in awarding shall go to an employee, or a child of a full-time employee, of a company or business owned or controlled by James and/or John Senty.
- Second priority shall go to a student who graduated from a high school in Trempealeau County (Wis.).
John and Anna Mann Scholarship
Scholarship amount: Varies (one time)
- Student must enroll at Viterbo University as a full-time undergraduate student in any semester the scholarship is awarded.
- First priority in awarding shall be made to a student(s) who, or whose parent or grandparent, is a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Gays Mills, Wis., or St. Philip's Catholic Church in Soldiers Grove, Wis.
- Second priority shall go to a student who graduated from Kickapoo High School in Viola, Wis.
Juliette Low Girl Scouts Scholarship
Scholarship Amount: Varies
- Student must enroll at Viterbo University as a full-time undergraduate student in any semester the scholarship is awarded.
- MUST have been a resident for at least two (2) years in specific counties located in the geographic boundary of the Girl Scouts of WI – Badgerland Council. Those counties include: Buffalo, Trempealeau, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Juneau, Vernon, Richland, Sauk, Columbia, Dodge, Crawford, Iowa, Dane, Jefferson, Grant, Lafayette, Green, Rock, and Walworth counties in Wisconsin, Houston County in Minnesota and Allamakee County in Iowa.
- Must submit verification of their active status within the Girl Scouts of WI – Badgerland.
- Must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- For more information or to apply, complete the Juliette Low Scholarship Application.
Mary Ann '69 and Tom Liebert Scholarship
Scholarship Amount: $1,250 per year (renewable for three additional years)
- Student must enroll at Viterbo University as a full-time undergraduate student in any semester the scholarship is awarded.
- Must be a female of African American descent.
- Must demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA.
- Must be a resident of Wisconsin.
- Preferential criteria: being a resident of Milwaukee County, being the first in their family to graduate with a four-year degree, and having shown intellectual promise, resiliency, and the potential for success through their conduct and work ethic.
Mayo Scholars Program
Scholarship Amount: $1,250-5,000 per year (renewable for three additional years)
The Mayo Scholars Program will focus on students from underrepresented racial identities with demonstrated financial need. It will provide renewable $5,000 annual scholarships for two nursing students and renewable $1,250 annual scholarship for two students pursuing health care related studies outside of nursing (i.e., social work, nutrition sciences, or psychology) for up to four years.
- Must have been enrolled in a high school within a 200-mile radius of La Crosse.
- Must be an admitted first-year student with declared major in nursing, social work, nutrition science, or psychology.
- Must be of an underrepresented racial identity.
- Must demonstrate financial need; preference for high financial need.
- Must be interviewed by a member of the Selection Committee.
Nightingale Nursing Scholarship
Deadline: Jan. 12, 2025
Scholarship Amount: $500-$6,000 per year (renewable for three additional years)
On campus competition: Feb. 7, 2025
Application Requirements: Online Nightingale Scholarship Application, which requires an essay and resume, plus two recommendation: one from a teacher addressing your academic strengths and potential to achieve your nursing career goals; one from another individual (non-relative, non-teacher) addressing your personal character attributes as they apply to nursing.
The Nightingale Nursing Scholarship, funded in part through gifts from the Russell and Vera Smith Foundation, awards scholarships to high school students intending to pursue a major in nursing at Viterbo. All students invited to the scholarship competition as finalists will receive a minimum of a $2,000 scholarship (over four years). The top five finalists will receive scholarships ranging from $24,000 to $8,000 (over four years).
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student.
- Preference for selection of finalists includes: cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or higher as well as demonstrated success in rigorous coursework.
- Must intend to major in nursing.
- For more information visit Nightingale Nursing Scholarship.
Nutrition Science Scholarship
Deadline: Jan. 12, 2025
Scholarship Amount: $1,000-$6,000 per year (renewable for three additional years)
On campus competition: Jan. 31, 2025
Application Requirements: Online Nutrition Science Scholarship Application, which requires an essay
The Nutrition Science Scholarship awards scholarships to high school students intending to pursue a major in Nutrition Science at Viterbo. All students invited to the scholarship competition as finalists will receive a minimum of a $4,000 scholarship (over four years). The first place student will receive a $24,000 scholarship (over four years), the second place student will receive a $16,000 scholarship (over four years), and the third place student will receive a $8,000 scholarship (over four years).
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student.
- Must intend to major in Nutrition Science.
- For more information, visit Nutrition Science Scholarship.
Paula Ripple Comin Spirituality Scholarship
Scholarship Amount: Varies
This scholarship is intended to support religious studies/theology students. Preference may be given to upperclassmen, but new incoming students will also be considered.
- Must be a current or incoming full-time traditional undergraduate student in good academic standing.
- Must intend to major in religious studies/theology.
Professional Diversity Scholarship
Scholarship Amount: $2,500 per year (renewable for three additional years)
The Professional Diversity Scholarship awards four renewable $2,500 scholarships to students students from underrepresented racial identities with demonstrated financial need. This scholarship is also available to transfer students.
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student or transfer student.
- Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- Must be of an underrepresented racial identity.
- Must be a U.S. citizen.
- Must demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA.
- Preference will be given to students majoring in nutrition sciences, nursing, communication disorders and sciences, education, or social work.
Russell and Vera Smith Finance Scholarship
Scholarship Amount: $1,000 per year (renewable for three additional years)
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student.
- Must declare a major in finance.
Russell and Vera Smith Foundation Scholarship for the Dahl School of Business
Scholarship Amount: Varies (one time, can reapply each year)
Application Requirements: Letter of recommendation from a high school teacher
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student (note: continuing Viterbo students are eligible too; the application as well as requirements and deadlines for either student type are on the Dahl School of Business Scholarships page).
- Must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and be in the top 25% of your class (if rank is provided).
- Must declare a major administered by the Dahl School of Business.
Sister Thea Bowman Minority Scholarship
Scholarship Amount: $2,000
Sister Thea Bowman was born in Mississippi and later joined the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. A poet, preacher, master teacher, vocalist, evangelist, and African American catalyst, she celebrated the gifts of all people, and encouraged African Americans to proudly celebrate their own identity.
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student or transfer student enrolling in a full-time traditional undergraduate program.
- Must be African American.
- Must have financial need, after utilizing any institutional, federal, or state aid.
- Preference for:
- Students attending high school in Mississippi
- Students participating in Chicago Scholars Foundation program
- Students attending high school in Racine, Wis.
Viterbo Community Fellows
Scholarship Amount: $2,500 per year (renewable for three additional years)
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student.
- Must have a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher.
- Must have an ACT (or SAT equivalent) score of 25 or higher
- Must declare a major in the liberal arts. Primary consideration will be given to majors in: English, criminal and community justice, applied mathematics and analytics, ethics, culture, and society, psychology, religious studies and theology, or Spanish. Secondary consideration will be given to students intending to major in social work and secondary education majors in art, social studies, English, and Spanish.
- Student-athletes are not eligible for this opportunity.
- Benefits of the Scholarship:
- Guaranteed admission to the Viterbo University Honors Program (if desired), a benefit of which includes one guaranteed paid summer research experience.
- Yearly registration in the ethics symposium (if desired).
- Annual participation in at least one Viterbo service event.
- Opportunities for leadership in the Ethics Institute or Service Saturday program are available (if desired).
Xcel Energy Scholarship for Women in Science
Scholarship Amount: $2,000-4,000 (renewable for three additional years)
This scholarship is to support accomplished women who intend to study science at Viterbo University.
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student and live within an Xcel Energy service area.
- Must be a female student intending to major in the natural sciences, engineering, computer science, or applied mathematics and analytics.
- Must maintain a 3.0 GPA in subsequent years
- Must demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA. Amount awarded may vary based on financial need.
Scholarships with their own application processes and deadlines
First-year students and transfer students may be eligible.
Army ROTC
First-year Student Applicant Deadline: varies, typically early winter of senior year
Scholarship Amount: Up to full tuition (renewable for three additional years)
This scholarship is determined by eligibility criteria found at www.goarmy.com/rotc
Talent Scholarship for Theatre and Music Theatre
Deadline: March 1, 2025
Scholarship Amount: Up to $2,000 per year (renewable for three additional years)
Audition Required. Visit www.viterbo.edu/theatreapply for more information.
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student or transfer student
- Must intend to major in Music Theatre or Theatre
Talent Scholarship for Vocal Music and Piano
Deadline: March 1, 2025
Scholarship Amount: Up to $2,000 per year (renewable for three additional years)
Audition Required. Visit www.viterbo.edu/musicapply for more information.
- Must be a new, incoming first-year student or transfer student
- Must intend to major in a music program
Talent Scholarship for Athletics
Deadline: Varies by sport
Scholarship Amount: Amount varies
Athletic scholarships are awarded by the coaches. Contact your desired sport's coach directly for more details. Visit www.viterboathletics.com for more information.
TheDream.US National Scholarship
Deadline: February 28, 2025
Scholarship Amount: Up to full tuition and basic fees (renewable for three additional years)
Viterbo University is the first Wisconsin college to partner with with TheDream.US to provide scholarships to qualified immigrant students who came to the United States as children, or “DREAMers." TheDream.US raises private funds and awards scholarships to help students pay for their college education. Visit www.thedream.us/scholarships/national-scholarship/ for eligibility and more information.
Tuition Rewards by SAGE Scholars
Viterbo University partners with the SAGE Scholars Tuition Rewards program. We guarantee Viterbo scholarships of up to 25% of tuition for eligible participating students. Visit www.tuitionrewards.com/ for eligibility and more information.
The Jack and Rosanne Glendenning Family Scholarship for the School of Business at the La Crosse Community Foundation (Transfer Students Only)
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2025
Scholarship Amount: $1,000 (one time, can requalify for a second year)
- Must be a full-time student who is admitted to the Western Technical College-to-Viterbo University business transfer program
- Applications are processed through the Financial Aid Office and require no additional application submission
Western Technical College Transfer Student Scholarship (Transfer Students Only)
Deadline: June 1, 2025
Scholarship Amount: $2,000
Application Requirements: Essay
- Must be a new, incoming transfer student from Western Technical College with an AAS in one of the Western to Viterbo articulation programs
- Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher
- Must plan to enroll full time in the articulated traditional undergraduate program (Bachelor Completion programs excluded)
- Click here for more information