John and Abigail Adams Scholarship

The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is available to students who score in the advanced category on the 10th grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test. Eligible students are identified during their senior year. Recipients of this scholarship have up to six years following high school graduation to utilize these funds. The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is a merit-based program that provides a credit toward tuition for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university. Its purpose is to reward and inspire student achievement, help attract more high-performing students to Massachusetts public higher education, and provide families of college-bound students with financial assistance. Students in the class of 2016 or after must score in the Advanced category on one of three high school state assessment tests (English Language Arts, Mathematics, or STE - Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics or Technology/Engineering) and in the Proficient or Advanced category on the remaining two, with a combined MCAS score that ranks in the top 25% in their school district. To be eligible, students must physically reside in Massachusetts for at least one year as of the start of the enrolled term; have approved eligibility status as a High School Completer per the Massachusetts tuition equity law or be a U.S. Citizen, permanent legal resident, or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations; be enrolled full time (at least 12 credits or its equivalent) in a certificate, associate's or bachelor's degree program at an eligible institution; not have received a prior bachelor's degree or its equivalent; and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Massachusetts equivalent (MASFA). Individual student awards at the University of Massachusetts are valued at $1,714 at Amherst, $1,714 at Boston, $1,417 at Dartmouth, and $1,454 at Lowell. Awards at State Universities and Community Colleges shall be no more than the resident undergraduate tuition rate. This tuition credit cannot be combined with any other tuition credits. There is no application process for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. Students that are eligible for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship will be notified in the fall of their senior year in high school.