Massachusetts Financial Aid

For information on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts financial aid programs outlined below, and additional resources including grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, and no-interest loans contact the college financial aid office or the Massachusetts OSFA:

Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance

135 Santilli Highway

Everett, MA 02149

617-391-6070

osfa@osfa.mass.edu

mass.edu/osfa/home

Foster Child Grant

Eligibility – legal residents of at least one year who are foster children attending accredited public, private or independent institutions of higher learning within the continental U.S. who have signed an agreement with the Department of Social Services for care and services beyond age 18 and are under the age of 25 at the start of the academic year.

Awards – grants of up to $6,000 annually for not more than five (5) consecutive years.

For application and information contact the Department of Social Services or OSFA.

MASSGrant and MASSGrant Plus

Eligibility – legal resident of at least one year with an Eligible Family Contribution (EFC) between $0 and $6,656 who will attend any approved institution of higher education in the state of Massachusetts or a state approved public, private or independent institution in Vermont, Pennsylvania, or District of Columbia that has a reciprocity agreement with Massachusetts.

Awards – vary, depending on financial need, type of institution, and enrollment status.

Application is made by completing and submitting the FAFSA.

Massachusetts Gilbert Matching Student Grant Program

Eligibility – dependent student or a permanent legal resident who is enrolled for at least 12 credits in a Massachusetts institution of higher education and demonstrate financial need.

Awards – range from $200 to $2,500 per academic year.

For information contact your financial aid office or DHE’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at (617) 391-6070.

Massachusetts Cash Grant

Eligibility – permanent resident of at least one year who can demonstrate financial need and is enrolled in a Massachusetts public college or university for a minimum of three undergraduate credits.

Awards – up to the cost of tuition and fees. Amounts are determined by the FAFSA and the college financial aid office. Typically, Cash Grants are utilized as supplemental grants in campus-based financial aid packages.

For application and information contact the college financial aid office or OSFA.

Massachusetts Part-Time Grant

Eligibility – permanent resident of at least one year who is considered financially needy according to program guidelines and is enrolled for at least six but less than twelve undergraduate credits in an approved postsecondary institution.

Awards – range from $200 to a maximum that depends on the type of institution that the student attends.

Application is made by completing and submitting the FAFSA.

Massachusetts Public Service Grant

Eligibility – residents of one year, who plan to enroll full-time at Massachusetts institutions of higher education, who are children or the widowed spouse of deceased permanent, paid members of police, correction, or fire departments; or children of POW, MIA, or veterans whose death resulted from injuries received in the performance of duty.

Awards – the cost of full-time annual tuition for a student attending a Massachusetts public college or university or an amount equal to the full-time annual tuition charged at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for a student attending a Massachusetts independent college or university.

Paraprofessional Teacher Preparation Grant

Eligibility – legal residents who are currently employed as paraprofessionals in Massachusetts public schools, have held such position for at least two years, and who enroll in an undergraduate degree program leading to teacher certification. Persons employed for less than two years may qualify if the course of study leads to certification in a high needs discipline.

Awards – vary according to type of institution attending: up to $4,000 at community college, up to $6,000 at state college, up to $7,500 at public or private university. Awards are not available to use at out-of-state colleges.

Christian A. Herter Memorial Scholarship

Eligibility – permanent residents enrolled in either 10th or 11th grade who demonstrate severe personal or family related difficulties or have overcome a personal hardship. Students must be nominated by a school or qualified community agency or organization. Minimum 2.5 GPA required for consideration.

Awards – may receive up to 50 percent of their calculated need; amounts vary and are based on educational cost, including tuition, room, board, required fees, books and transportation.

For application and information contact the high school counselor or OSFA.

Community College Nursing Scholarship Program

Eligibility – legal residents of at least one year who is enrolled for a minimum of 6 credits in the nursing profession at a public community college in Massachusetts.

Awards – shall not exceed the calculated cost of tuition, fees, books and supplies as published in the institution’s annual Cost of Attendance (COA), for the academic term, during which the award is made.

The Early Childhood Educators Scholarship

Eligibility – legal residents who are currently employed for at least 6 months as early childhood educators or licensed family care providers who enroll in an associate, bachelor, or master’s degree program in Early Childhood Education or related programs (i.e., elementary education, psychology, sociology) at an eligible Massachusetts public or private college or university.

Awards – maximum of $2,250 per semester at community colleges; $3,600 per semester at public state colleges; $4,500 per semester at public or private universities. The recipient agrees to continue employment as an early childhood educator or childcare provider in Massachusetts upon completing the degree requirements, or repay funds.

High Demand Scholarship

Eligibility – legal resident of Massachusetts studying at Massachusetts public and independent institutions who are pursuing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), Health Professions, Education, Social Work, Criminal Justice, Economics, or Business degree.

Awards – up to $17,500 per year for full-time students; up to $8,750 per year for part-time students; for Community College enrollment up to $7,000 per year full-time; $3,500 per year part-time.

The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship

This scholarship rewards high student achievement while helping to attract more high-performing students to Massachusetts public higher education.

Eligibility – legal resident who scores in the Advanced category on one of three high school state assessment tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, or STE (Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics or Technology/Engineering); scores in the Proficient or Advanced category on the remaining two high school state assessment tests; and has a combined MCAS score on these assessments that ranks in the top 25 percent in the school district.

Awards – non-need-based tuition waiver for state-supported undergraduate courses not to exceed the resident undergraduate tuition rate at the participating institution.

There is no application for this scholarship. Eligible students are notified in the fall of senior year.

Moving to College Scholarship

The newest housing scholarship initiative designed to support Massachusetts unaccompanied homeless youth as they transition to, progress through, and complete a college education.

Scholarships for up to 20 students are funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Moving to Work program.

Awards – year-round, on-campus housing, meals and services. Tuition and supplies are not covered.

One Family Scholarship Program

This program provides support and opportunities for growth to low-income heads of households in the form of financial assistance, training, and additional support services that are needed to successfully manage the demands of higher education, work, and raising a family.

Eligibility – candidates must qualify as a head-of-household, with children under age 18; be at risk of homelessness, based on federal poverty standards, or has experienced homelessness within the previous 12 months; have clear and realistic academic and career goals, strong potential for success in chosen academic program, and a desire to actively participate in all aspects of the program.

Awards – based on the scholar’s individual needs, tuition assistance for up to full-time attendance plus additional living expenses. Recipients must participate in leadership training, seminars, and workshops.

For more information, contact:

One Family, Inc.

50 Milk Street

16th floor

Boston, MA 02109

617-237-0778

info@onefamilyinc.org

onefamilyinc.org/scholars

Paul Tsongas Scholarship

Eligibility – legal residents who have graduated from high school with a GPA of 3.75 and highly competitive SAT scores of at least 1200, or ACT equivalent.

Awards – waiver of tuition and mandatory fees at a Massachusetts state college. Each of the nine state colleges awards five Paul Tsongas Scholarships annually. Recipients must maintain a 3.3 GPA for continued eligibility.

For application and information contact the state college you wish to attend or OSFA.

Tomorrow’s Teachers Scholarship Program

Eligibility – legal resident of at least one year and enroll full-time (minimum of 12 credits, or the equivalent) in an approved course of study.

Awards – up to $25,000 per academic year. Recipient acknowledges that this scholarship is considered repayment through service and in absence of fulfilling that commitment, the scholarship reverts to a loan. One year of teaching will forgive one year of scholarship. 