Spring Scholarships in Scandinavia
for UW-Madison students
Each spring semester, the BVO sends UW-Madison students to Helsinki, Finland and Copenhagen, Denmark. The scholars study abroad in different cities at different universities during the spring semester, but also form a scholar group that travels together during school breaks and on weekends.
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All scholarships are designed to cover housing, roundtrip flights to Scandinavia, visas, insurance, a generous living and travel stipend, and tuition up to the WI or MN resident rate. Scholars travel together around the Nordic countries to visit Viking alumni and celebrate cultural holidays.
All our scholars become lifelong members of our alumni network consisting of around 500 scholarship recipients from the last seven decades. Our alumni serve as a valuable support system for our scholars while they are abroad and can provide connections for academic and professional opportunities during and after the scholarship period has ended. The people you meet might become your lifelong friends, and the social, academic, and professional contacts you gain make the Brittingham Viking Organization unique.
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To find out more about available classes and subjects at our partner universities, please visit their respective websites (listed below). Available universities have different GPA and student classification requirements. Please take this into consideration when determining your preferred study abroad destinations in your written application.
Available Universities
​Copenhagen, Denmark
Topics(s): Arts, Humanities, Science & Technology, Social Sciences
Requirements: Open to 2025-26 Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate Students with a 2.5 GPA
Topic(s): Business
Requirements: At this time, Copenhagen Business School is only an option for applicants who have applied for the Copenhagen Business School Exchange (applications typically due March 3, 2025). If the applicant is selected to be a Brittingham Viking Scholar but later finds out they are denied a spot in the Copenhagen Business School Exchange, they will study instead at the University of Copenhagen.
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Helsinki, Finland​
Topics(s): Engineering, Science & Technology, Business, Design
Requirements: Open to 2025-26 Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate Students with at least a 3.0 GPA
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Topic(s): Economics, Marketing, Finance, Business
Requirements: Open to 2025-26 Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate Students with at least a 3.0 GPA
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Topic(s): Arts & Humanities, Science & Technology, Social Sciences
Requirements: Open to 2025-26 Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate Students with at least a 3.0 GPA​​
Important Notes!
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Currently, Brittingham Viking scholars studying in Copenhagen study on exchange through UW-Madison’s International Academic Program (IAP) office. Students in Helsinki study as free moving students, which means that the credits they receive in Finland are not considered in residence (unlike on IAP programs). This is subject to change as IAP makes changes in its own policies, so make sure you know what you need academically from your time abroad and communicate that with the selection committee as much as possible. Question 8 on the written application provides you space to do so. If needed, talk to your academic advisor before completing your application!​​
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Scholarships are designed to cover housing, roundtrip flights to Scandinavia, visas, insurance, a generous living and travel stipend, and tuition up to the WI or MN resident rate. Students paying out-of-state tuition at UW-Madison will still need to pay the difference between MN resident and out-of-state tuition rates. Visit the Office of Student Financial Aid's cost of attendance page for more information.
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Scholarship funds are given as a lump sum upon arrival in Scandinavia. Scholars may be asked to pay some costs (e.g., visa fees) prior to arriving in Scandinavia but will be able to reimburse themselves after receiving scholarship funds. Scholars assume responsibility for additional miscellaneous study abroad expenses (e.g., entertainment, personal travels, clothing, etc.).
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Commitment requires scholar availability from January through May 2026, plus a weekend in late August 2026 to attend the annual Brittingham Viking Organization Convention in Scandinavia.
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Scholars must be planning to return to the Madison area for one full academic year after scholarship, either to study or for employment. We expect that returning scholars will be involved in welcoming new Scandinavian scholars to Madison in September 2026 and selecting the next group of American BVO scholars in spring 2027.
Application Instructions
Our application process is split into two portions, the first of which only takes a few minutes to complete. We recommend starting your application as soon as it is available.
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After you have completed the initial application, follow the instructions in the confirmation email or visit this webpage to download the written portion of the application.
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Complete the scholarship application thoroughly and with respect to the word limits.
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Create a single PDF of your written application with the file name FirstnameLastname.pdf (e.g., BuckyBadger.pdf) and submit it here.
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The written application must be submitted here by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 21, 2025. Late applications will not be accepted.
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Applicants who are selected for an interview will be notified by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 28, 2025. Selected applicants must be available for interviews on Saturday, April 5, 2025 (virtual) and Saturday, April 12, 2025 (in person in Madison). Please note that not all applicants will be invited to the second interview.​
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Any questions about the scholarship or the application should be directed to us.scholarships@brittinghamvikings.org with the email subject “Application Question.” A member of the selection committee will get back to you as soon as possible.
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Timeline for Applying​
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March 21 — applications for Spring 2026 due
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March 28 — all applicants are notified via email of their interview status
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April 5 — virtual first interview for selected applicants
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April 12 — second interview for selected applicants in Madison