Debt Forgiveness for Qualifying Reentry Students
Are you ready to finish what you started? UW-Stout Polytechnic wants to help you get there!
Introducing Blue Devils Blaze Forward (BDBF), a debt-forgiveness program that provides a path forward for former UW-Stout Polytechnic students that would not otherwise be able to return to finish their degree due to a past-due balance on their student account. The program allows students to return to UW-Stout Polytechnic by:
- removing their past-due balance registration hold,
- pausing finance charges on the previous past-due balance,
- forgiving the past-due balance in quarterly installments (or upon graduation, whichever happens sooner), and
- providing structured support for students to be academically and financially successful.
Qualifications
To qualify, you must meet the following requirements:
- Former UW-Stout Polytechnic student, who is otherwise eligible to return
- Not have enrolled in any class at UW-Stout Polytechnic for two consecutive years or more
- Must not have earned a bachelor's degree at any institution
- Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
- Students may be accepted to BDBF with a cumulative GPA less than 2.0 if it is determined that they can reasonably raise their cumulative GPA to 2.0+ within one semester. Students who end the term with a cumulative GPA less than 2.0 will not be eligible for debt-forgiveness and are subject to the University's existing academic standards policies, and federal financial aid eligibility policies. For more information, see:
- Outstanding balance owed to UW-Stout Polytechnic must be $3,000 or less
Applicant Eligibility
To join BDBF and have your debt forgiven, you must:
- Re-apply to UW-Stout Polytechnic by completing the UW e-app and be admitted
- File the FAFSA Form
- Financial aid eligibility will not determine acceptance for BDBF
- FAFSA questions should be directed to the Financial Aid Office
- Fill out the BDBF application by the deadline for your starting term:
- Fall: Aug. 1***
- Winterm: Dec. 1
- Spring: Jan. 1
- Summer: May 1
- Meet with the Financial Wellness & Literacy Center and your academic advisor after passing initial screening via the BDBF application. (Instructions will be emailed to you.)
- Have a financially and academically successful semester as outlined in the BDBF financial and academic agreements including:
- Complete at least two student support meetings each semester (Financial Wellness & Literacy Center, academic advisor, financial aid advisor, Career Services, TRIO, Multicultural Student Services, etc.)
- New charges paid in full by the due date
- Maintain at least a 2.0 GPA
- Complete a minimum of 6 credits (as few as 3 credits may be approved by your academic advisor with the understanding that enrolling less than half-time will impact financial aid)
Debt will be forgiven in quarterly installments at the completion of each academically and financially successful semester (Fall and Spring only) or upon graduation, whichever comes first. (For example, if a student owes $3,000, they will have approximately $750 forgiven at the end of their first successful semester. Please note that debt is written off by itemized charges, so each semester write-off will not be an exact quarter of the debt owed.)
***Fall 2026 will welcome our first cohort of BDBF students. Because of the reduced timeframe that students have to apply for this term, applications for BDBF that are received after the deadline will continue to be considered, and eligibility determined at the discretion of the Financial Wellness & Literacy Center.***
Checking your Balance
If you are not sure what your balance is, please contact Student Business Services (SBS) directly for further instruction. Your balance may no longer be serviced by UW-Stout Polytechnic, and therefore the balance that appears in Access Stout may not be accurate for older charges. Students with balances over $3,000 can pay down to the threshold to be eligible for BDBF.
Not Eligible?
Support is available even if you do not meet these criteria. We still want to see you achieve your goals if you are not eligible for this program and need to find a different way to return. Whether you are a returning student without a past-due balance or you're an adult learner just starting your journey at UW-Stout Polytechnic, we offer resources to help you succeed. Additionally, support is available to help if you have experienced academic challenges.
UW-Stout Polytechnic is ready to provide you with comprehensive, holistic support including tutoring, career coaching, academic advising, financial planning, and more. We are committed to helping you achieve your goals!
Please contact the Financial Wellness & Literacy Center for questions.