University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Merit Scholarships are awarded at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. At the time of acceptance and will continue for eight continuous undergraduate semesters as long as students continue to meet minimum academic standards of performance and any other minimum eligibility requirements. You can also access the scholarship-related Frequently Asked Questions here.

There are several types of merit-based scholarships that you can consider.

Chancellor's, Director's, and Dean's Scholarships are awarded to academically and socially exceptional incoming freshman. No application form is needed and consideration will happen automatically.

The Community Scholarship and Flagship Award are merit and financial-based. No additional application is needed for this one and in order to be considered you must be considered low-income, be in-state residents of Massachusetts, and be first generation college students.

The Honors-to-Honors Scholarship is available and awarded for students in Massachusetts who are transferring in from an in-state community college through an approved MassTransfer program and accepted to the UMass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College. An additional scholarship application is option, but highly encouraged and can be obtained from the Admissions Office.

The Academic Honors Scholarship is awarded each year to a Massachusetts Science Fair top-scoring winner. Proof of a top-place award is required to be considered for this award.

To apply for scholarships, currently enrolled and accepted students can submit the University of Massachusetts Amherst General Scholarship Application. In addition, there may be other applications that you may need to complete depending on the individual scholarship you are applying for.

In addition to being considered for merit (and financial) awards at the time of acceptance, students who are officially enrolled may also access Academic Works which is a comprehensive database and source of UMass Amherst scholarships. These scholarships vary and additional requirements may be requested in order to apply for them.

Presidential and Alumni Scholarships and UMass Amherst Alumni Scholarships are also widely merit-based with additional other criteria for applying. These are not only open to freshman, but other types and academic levels of students can apply depending upon the specific scholarship.

The various schools and colleges within the larger University of Massachusetts Amherst system also offer college-based awards. Visit the particular school or college that you plan to attend for more details regarding each type of award and the eligibility requirements and criteria to apply.