The Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program (MJLSP) is a four-year tuition scholarship program serving nearly 500 high-achieving undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. With a philosophy of Excellence in Scholarship, Leadership and Service, the program is at the forefront of providing intensive and consistent levels of direct support to talented students who as a cohort begin their journey as freshman at UW-Madison.

The MJLSP seeks to attract, support, and develop the abilities and potential of students who join UW-Madison with an array of life experiences, with a particular focus on academically talented and high-achieving individuals who come from backgrounds where hardship and /or disadvantage have impacted their educational opportunities, and/or could limit their future participation and representation as contributing members of society (e.g., representation in employment/professional fields, representation in leadership roles).

The program recruits students both across the state of Wisconsin and the United States. The program seeks to broaden the representation of individuals from different backgrounds who are passionate about enacting the Wisconsin Idea, positively impacting people’s lives across UW-Madison, the state of Wisconsin, the United States, and our society.

Since its inception, the MJLSP has established itself as the premier scholarship program on campus serving students through: (1) high touch advising; (2) intentional curricular and co-curricular programming, (3) structured mentoring opportunities, (4) fostering connections to campus and community partners; and (5) a focus on leadership skills development.

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