Massachusetts Graduate Student Scholarships: A Comprehensive Guide

Financing graduate education can seem daunting. While federal loans, fellowships, and assistantships are common avenues, private scholarships remain a significant source of funding. Numerous organizations offer scholarships to graduate students, and it's crucial to explore these opportunities. Here's a detailed guide to scholarships for graduate students in Massachusetts, along with general tips applicable to all students seeking financial aid.

Understanding the Landscape of Graduate School Financial Aid

Graduate school financial aid differs from undergraduate aid. While loans from the federal government are readily available, graduate students should also consider fellowships, teaching assistantships, and private scholarships to minimize debt. Scholarships, unlike loans, do not require repayment, making them a valuable resource.

General Scholarship Application Tips

Regardless of the specific scholarship, several strategies can increase your chances of success:

Meeting Eligibility Requirements: Before applying, carefully review the eligibility criteria. Most Massachusetts scholarships require proof of residency or enrollment in a Massachusetts institution. Other common requirements include GPA, community service involvement, citizenship status, enrollment in an accredited program, demonstrated leadership potential, and submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Don't assume you won't qualify.
Time Investment: Some scholarships have quick applications, while others require more effort. Scholarships that require more work often have fewer applicants, potentially increasing your odds of winning.
Don't Overlook Smaller Awards: Even smaller scholarship amounts can add up and make a difference.
Utilize Resources: Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships.
Understanding Financial Need and Merit: Some scholarships are need-based, while others are merit-based. Financial need is determined by each scholarship individually, without a universal standard. Merit scholarships recognize academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievements.
Industry-Specific Scholarships: Explore scholarships for students pursuing specific careers, such as teaching, nursing, or engineering.
FAFSA is Key for Grants: To be eligible for grants, students must submit the FAFSA®.
Recommendation Letters: Obtain strong recommendation letters if required.
Essay Writing: If an essay is required, carefully follow the prompt, answer the question thoroughly, and draw from your own experiences. Discuss your financial need and how the scholarship would help you.
Interview Preparation: If an interview is required, dress professionally and research the scholarship's background and purpose. Explain why the scholarship is meaningful to you.
Deadline Management: Keep track of all scholarship deadlines.
Persistence: Apply for scholarships every year throughout your college career.
Apply broadly: Apply for as many scholarships as you can to increase your chances of winning free money.
Personalize your essays: Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay-different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.

Massachusetts-Specific Financial Aid Programs

Massachusetts offers various grants, scholarships, and tuition waivers to eligible students. The Massachusetts state legislature provides detailed descriptions of these programs on its Office of Student Financial Assistance website, clarifying whether each program is need-based or merit-based, for full-time or part-time students, and applicable to private or public institutions.

State Programs

Cash Grant Program: A need-based program to cover some college fees and tuition, generally available to students planning to attend public institutions and holding a high grade point average (GPA).
MASSGrant and MASSGrant Plus: Further need-based options to cover college costs.
Graduate Tuition Waiver: Provides incentives to individuals to enroll in graduate programs at Massachusetts public colleges and universities. Eligibility requires being a citizen, permanent legal resident, or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations.
Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship Program: Encourages degree completion in high-demand disciplines that address the state's workforce needs. Eligibility requires being a citizen, permanent legal resident, or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations. Eligible programs are designated by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code.

Featured Massachusetts Scholarships

Here are some specific scholarships available to Massachusetts residents:

Scholarships on Bold.org

Bold.org is the largest independent scholarship program that awards financial assistance to eligible applicants with no expectation of repayment. Bold.org is all about providing financial support in scholarships and grants to students in every corner. There are hundreds of exclusive scholarships available on Bold.org with new opportunities created every day. Our recommendation is to apply for as many scholarships as you can to maximize your winnings.

The following scholarships are strictly for permanent legal residents of Massachusetts who are seeking financial assistance.

Rita A. Clark Future Educator Award: Grants \$804 to one winner. Applicants are either high school seniors or undergraduate students who are pursuing careers in education. To apply, the applicant must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the following prompt: "Tell us about yourself and how you will make a positive impact in the education field." The deadline is May 31st.
Rajesh Aggarwal Scholarship for Scientific Studies: Grants \$2,898 each to six winners; three from Massachusetts and three from New Jersey. Applicants are low-income high school juniors or seniors pursuing higher education in a science-oriented discipline. To apply, applicants must write an essay about the combination of free thinking and science by June 29th.
SKH Empowering Scholarship for Women: Grants \$500 each to two female winners. Applicants carry a GPA of 3.2 or higher, are high school seniors or undergraduate students, and pursuing higher education in business. To apply, applicants must write an essay about how their career will help their community. Apply by the June 29th deadline to be considered!
Leon M. Braswell III Book Scholarship: Grants \$1,500 to one winner annually. Applicants are BIPOC high school seniors who will be first-generation college students. Because this scholarship is available to students in the northeast, those residing in New England, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey are eligible. To apply, applicants must "create a submission that explains diversity to someone who has never heard of the word/concept. Creativity is encouraged, so feel free to submit original poems, essays, videos, song lyrics, art, etc." The deadline is July 20th.
John F. Puffer, Sr. Smile Scholarship: Grants \$1,000 each to three winners who exemplify the principles of S.M.I.L.E., or shine, motivate, inspire, lead, and excel. Applicants are high school seniors who hold a GPA of 2.8 or higher. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt: "How have you excelled in your education? How have your actions impacted your ability to leave a legacy on your family and community?" The deadline is July 30th.
Francis "Slip" Madigan Scholarship: Awards \$1,000 to one winner who resonates with the importance of education. Applicants are high school seniors who will be first-generation college students. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt: "Why is going to college so important to you, and as a first-generation college student, how will this scholarship help you with your future plans?" The deadline is September 1st.

Additional Scholarships for New England Residents

The following scholarships are also well-suited for New England residents. The scholarship opportunities that are selected span across subjects of mental health, community service, and STEM. The list is organized based on the nearest deadline, education level, and eligibility criteria.

Dan Leahy Scholarship Fund: Awards \$1,500 each to two winners. Applicants are high school or community college students involved in the extracurriculars of speech and debate or mock trial. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is May 20th.
Carrie Lee Peyton Amazing Educator Scholarship: Awards \$625 each to two winners who are interested in studying education and/or employed as current teachers. Applicants are BIPOC high school juniors or seniors or BIPOC graduates with student debt. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the student or teacher prompt. The deadline is May 19th.
Stephan L. Daniels Lift As We Climb Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$5,000 to one winner. Applicants are African American/Black high school seniors or undergraduate students pursuing higher education in STEM. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is May 20th.
Lisa McGinley Scholarship Fund: This scholarship awards \$935 to one winner. Applicants are high school juniors or seniors or undergraduate students, who are pursuing sports at the collegiate level and have lost a parent(s). To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is May 20th.
Chaweka Lynn Fisher Memorial Scholarship: Awards \$1,500 to one winner. Applicants are indigenous undergraduate or graduate students. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is May 19th.
Women in Tech Scholarship: Awards \$3,000 to one female winner. Applicants are undergraduate students pursuing higher education in STEM. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is May 29th.
Indigenous Women in STEM Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$500 to one Indigenous, female winner. Applicants are either high school seniors or undergraduate students pursuing higher education in STEM. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is May 30th.
Abby's First-Generation College Student Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$500 to one winner. Applicants are high school seniors with a 3.0 GPA or higher, involved in sports or extracurriculars, and planning to attend a four-year university as a first-generation student. To apply, applicants must write a 300-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is June 1st.
Jake Thomas Williams Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$2,000 to one winner. Applicants are high school student seniors, intending to pursue higher education in social work, therapy, or psychology with a particular interest in mental health or suicide prevention. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is June 1st.
Destinie's Dollars for Degrees Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$500 to one winner. Applicants are first-generation, BIPOC undergraduate students. To apply, applicants must write a 200-500 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is June 1st.
Mary P. Perlea Scholarship Fund: This scholarship awards \$500 to one winner. Applicants are undergraduate students of an underrepresented or otherwise disadvantaged community, such as BIPOC students, LGBTQ+ students, single mothers, etc. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is June 1st.
Gladys Ruth Legacy "Service" Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$1,000 to one winner. Applicants are first-generation, African American/Black undergraduate students with a GPA of 2.5 or above. To apply, applicants must have participated in community service for the last five years and write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is June 5th.
M.R. Brooks Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$1,000 to one winner. Applicants are LGBTQ+ high school or undergraduate students who are single parents or are high school or undergraduate students and children of an LGBTQ+ single parent. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is July 1st.
Michael Valdivia Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$2,257 to two winners. Applicants are male high school seniors or undergraduate students who have experience dealing with anxiety and/or depression. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is July 15th.
ProjectGiveBack Scholarship for Black Women: This scholarship awards \$1,000 each to two winners. Applicants are Black women and high school students who have demonstrated excellent leadership skills and a commitment to give back to the Black community. To apply, applicants must first submit a 2-minute video talking through how her goals/aspirations align with the spirit of ProjectGiveBack, and second, write a 500-1000 word essay, responding to one of two questions given. The deadline is July 26th.
Lee Avenatti Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$2,500 to one winner. Applicants are high school or undergraduate students within the LGBTQ+ community who have spent time in a group home or foster care. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay answering the prompt. The deadline is August 1st.
Learner Education Women in Mathematics Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$1,000 to one winner every six months. Applicants are high school or undergraduate female students who are pursuing a career in a math-related field. To apply, applicants must write a 400-600 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is August 1st.
Lisa Seidman Excellence in Writing Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$500 to one female winner. Applicants are high school seniors or undergraduate students with a 3.0 GPA or higher, pursuing higher education in English and writing. To apply, applicants must write a 400-500 word essay, answering the prompt. The deadline is September 1st.

Other Scholarship Opportunities

Thomas M. Menino Scholarship Fund: Students must be nominated by their high school principals or guidance counselors.
Boston Public High School Valedictorian Scholarship: Senior Class Valedictorians, with preference given to students from the designated 35 Traditional District and Exam Boston Public High Schools.
Boston Housing Authority Scholarship Fund: Residents of Boston Housing Authority (BHA) Public Housing must submit a letter verifying their residence within one month of submitting their admission application. There is an interview process that informs candidates’ admission and scholarship decision. Section 8 and BHA subsidized housing residents are not eligible for this scholarship.
Balfour Academy Scholarship: Balfour Academy graduates.
Boston Scholars Program: Graduate of Boston public or charter high school. 3.0 GPA.
City of Boston Scholarship Fund: Graduates of a Boston public high school.
The Lenny Zakim Fund Scholarship: Outstanding high school graduate from public or private school in Boston.
The Yawkey Foundation Scholarship: Graduate of Boston public school system, has financial need, strong academic potential, and entrepreneurial spirit.
The Stephen J. Murphy Scholarship Fund: The Stephen J. Murphy Scholarship Fund.
The Bernard R. Morgan Scholarship: Resident of Harbor Point community and surrounding neighborhood.
Wentworth Scholarship: Graduate of Boston Green Academy or Excel High School. Has a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 3.25. Boston residents and have been accepted to Wentworth. Scholarship selection is based on academics, leadership, school and community involvement, as well as financial need.
Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$500 to one winner. Applicants are from any education level and background. To… Resident of Allston/Brighton for 4 or more years and have an institutionally determined need greater than \$10,000 to be considered.

Addressing Student Debt in Massachusetts

Despite financial aid offerings, many Massachusetts residents still rely on federal and state loans. The average amount of federal and private student debt for a Massachusetts resident is \$31,821, slightly below the national average of \$36,689. In January 2021, state legislators passed the Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights, standardizing the methods of loan servicers and borrower protection rights.

Massachusetts Colleges and Universities

Massachusetts boasts a diverse range of postsecondary institutions, including:

Read also: The History of UMass Amherst

15 community colleges
Six public state universities (Bridgewater State University, Salem State University, Westfield State University)
Three specialized public institutions (Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Massachusetts Maritime Academy)
Four University of Massachusetts campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell)
Private institutions (Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, Smith College, Wellesley College, Mount Holyoke College)

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