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Whether or not you can demonstrate financial need, there are scholarships out there that are available to you. Every bit of money you can get helps bring down the overall cost of your postsecondary education, so applying early and applying often is recommended. Some scholarships are available to students as early as their freshman year of high school, so start your search today! If you’re a student from Massachusetts, you’re in luck—we’ve done half of the work for you.
State-sponsored scholarships for Massachusetts residents:
Agnes M. Lindsay Scholarship Program
Award Amount: Varies
This scholarship is available to students from rural Massachusetts (defined as having a population under 15,000 people) who can demonstrate financial need. Students must be pursuing their first associate’s or bachelor’s degree or certificate on a full-time basis at a public institution in Massachusetts (excluding the University of Massachusetts at Amherst). Financial need must be shown by filling out the FAFSA. Students are nominated by their institution; talk to the financial aid office at your school for more information.
Students pursuing their first degree who can demonstrate financial need may be eligible for additional funding to cover non-tuition costs (like mandatory fees). Students must be attending a public institution in Massachusetts to qualify. Grants are managed by each institution; contact your financial aid office for more information.
Award Amount: Up to $6,000
Students who are currently or were in the foster care system and who signed an agreement with the Department of Social Services acknowledging the provisions of the grant are eligible for up to $6,000 annually to cover the costs associated with education at an accredited Massachusetts institution. Reach out to the Department of Higher Education’s Office of Student Financial Assistance or the Department of Children and Families for more information.
Gilbert Matching Student Grant Program
Award Amount: Up to $2,500
Students who are attending college in Massachusetts and can demonstrate financial need may be eligible for up to $2,500 annually to help pay for their education. Parents of students must be legal Massachusetts residents who have lived in the state for at least 12 months before the academic year is set to begin. Students must be pursuing their first bachelor’s, nursing, or professional degree. Talk to your financial aid office for more information about application procedures and deadlines.
John and Abigail Adams Scholarship
Award Amount: Varies
Students who score well on their tenth grade Massachusetts state assessment are automatically eligible for this scholarship. (Students must score at least Advanced in either English Language Arts, Mathematics, or STE, and score Proficient or Advanced on the other two sections. Furthermore, students must score in the top 25% of students in their district.) Students do not have to apply, but do have to attend an eligible in-state institution to receive funding. Award amount varies depending on the cost and type of institution a student chooses to attend.
Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship Program
Award Amount: Up to $5,000
Application Deadline: February 25, 2019
Students who plan to attend a Massachusetts state university and pursue a degree in a high-needs field are eligible to apply for this scholarship. (For the 2018–2019 school year, science, technology, engineering, and math fields were considered high needs.) While in school, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Award amount depends on enrollment level; students enrolled full time can receive up to $2,750 per semester while students enrolled part time can receive up to $1,375 per semester.
Application Deadline: May 1, 2019
Students who can demonstrate significant financial need (with an expected family contribution of $5,486 or less) may be eligible for funding from the state to help cover educational costs. Students need only to file the FAFSA to apply. Students must attend an approved institution in Massachusetts or any school in Vermont, Pennsylvania, or Washington D.C. that has a reciprocity agreement with the state of Massachusetts. Awards will vary based upon a student’s level of need.
Award Amount: At least $200
Students who are attending school at least half time, but not full time, at an accredited institution in Massachusetts are eligible for funding to cover some of their educational costs. Students need only to fill out the FAFSA and demonstrate financial need to apply.
Award Amount: Full tuition and mandatory fees
Minimum GPA Required: 3.75
Students who have maintained a 3.75 GPA in high school and scored at least 1200 on the SAT may be eligible for a tuition waiver from one of the following schools: Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University, or Worcester State University. Contact your prospective school for more information.
Award Amount: Up to full tuition
Application Deadline: May 1, 2019
Students who had a parent or spouse killed in the line of duty or had a parent or spouse go missing in the line of duty may be eligible for their tuition to be completely covered. The individual killed or missing in the line of duty must be a Massachusetts police officer, firefighter, or corrections officer; a prisoner of war whose service was credited to Massachusetts and who went missing between February 1, 1955, and the end of the Vietnam War; or a veteran whose service was credited to Massachusetts. Students must enroll full time at an in-state institution. Award amount depends on the type of institution chosen.
Private scholarships for Massachusetts residents:
Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts
Application Deadline: March 31, 2019
This foundation administers dozens of scholarships, each with their own eligibility requirements. The Albert S. and Anna E. Adams Scholarship Fund, for example, is open only to students who graduated from Westfield High School. The Diana and Leon Feffer Scholarship Fund, however, is open to students who live in Hampden, Hampshire, or Franklin County. You can fill out an application online to determine which scholarships you may be eligible for. You will be required to submit your most recent transcript and a copy of your Student Aid Report (from the FAFSA). You may reapply each year.
Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund
Award Amount: Up to $15,000 annually
Application Deadline: April 3, 2019
Minimum GPA Required: 3.0
Letter of Recommendation: Yes
Essay: Yes
This scholarship award is for residents of New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) with financial need who are enrolled or will be enrolled full-time in a bachelor’s degree program. Students must have an expected family contribution of $10,000 or less as determined by the FAFSA. Students must demonstrate a history of part-time work while in high school or college, the ability to overcome obstacles, and a commitment to service. Students may receive the award for up to four years, provided they maintain a 2.5 GPA and don’t experience changes to their financial need. High school seniors and current college students may apply.
Award Amount: $1,000
Application Deadline: April 1, 2019
Letter of Recommendation: Yes
Essay: Optional
If you are a high school student living in Western Massachusetts and are interested in pursuing a career in journalism at an accredited institution, you may be eligible for $1,000 to put toward your educational costs. You must be able to demonstrate financial need. A completed application consists of a 300-word news story, your high school transcript, your résumé, one letter of recommendation, and up to three examples of previous journalistic work. You may elect to submit a personal statement.
If you’re planning to attend college, start your scholarship search now! While these scholarships are only for Massachusetts residents, there are plenty of other scholarships out there that determine eligibility in other ways: minimum GPA, SAT, or ACT scores; participation in athletics; attending school in a certain state; etc. Start here, then do a search on your own. You’re bound to find something!
