Free and affordable college tuition and fees are here across public Massachusetts community colleges and four-year universities!
Massachusetts has one of the nation's most comprehensive free community college programs, with universal aid for tuition and fees, as well as financial resources for books, supplies, and other expenses for certain students.
If your family makes up to $85,000 a year before taxes, you can likely go tuition and fee free through MASSGrant Plus. Additionally, many students from middle-income families can get tuition and fees reduced by up to 50%.
Below is a quick guide to the other most common Massachusetts Financial Aid programs. For additional eligibility requirements, award amounts and deadlines, click on the links listed. For a complete list of programs, visit our Financial Aid Programs page.
Students must file a Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FASFA) or the Massachusetts equivalent (MASFA) to be considered for all state financial aid.
A grant is a monetary gift for people pursuing higher education. It is often based on financial need and does not need to be repaid (unless, for example, you withdraw from school and owe a refund).
| Program | Type of Aid | Full-time Student | Part-time Student | Public Community College Student | Public State University or UMass Student | Private College/ University Student | Other Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MASSGrant | Need-Based | Can be used at any state-approved postsecondary school in MA, VT, PA, and DC. Student cannot already have a bachelor's degree. >> More Info | |||||
| Cash Grant | Need-Based | Student cannot already have a bachelor's degree. >> More Info | |||||
| Foster Child Grant | Need-Based | Student must be in custody of Dept. of Children and Families (DCF) through Extended Care and Protection Petition and must not be over age 24. >> More Info | |||||
| Gilbert Matching Student Grant | Need-Based | Can be used at any private, regionally accredited, non-profit postsecondary school or school of nursing in MA. Student cannot already have a bachelor's degree. >> More Info | |||||
| Part-Time Grant | Need-Based | Student cannot already have a bachelor's degree. >> More Info | |||||
| Public Service Grant | Entitlement | Student must have experienced the loss of a parent and/or spouse who is killed or missing in the line of public service duty in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. >> More Info | |||||
| Paraprofessional Teacher Preparation Grant | Program-Specific | Student must be employed as a paraprofessional for two years in a Massachusetts public school and agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a Massachusetts public school after graduation. >> More Info |
Scholarships are gifts that (typically) don’t have to be repaid and are designed to help students pay for college or career school. They can be a one-time gift or renewable, depending on the scholarship.
| Program | Type of Aid | Full-time Student | Part-time Student | Public Community College Student | Public State University or UMass Student | Private College/ University Student | Other Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian A. Herter Memorial Scholarship | Need-Based | Students must exhibit difficult personal circumstances, high financial need, and strong academic promise. Student must apply during 10th or 11th grade. >> More Info | |||||
| Community College Nursing Scholarship | Program-Specific | Student must be enrolled in an eligible course of study in an approved nursing or pre-nursing discipline. >> More Info | |||||
| Early Childhood Educators Scholarship | Program-Specific | Student must be employed as an educator or provider in an early education and care program or out of school time program and continue employment in in this field upon completing the degree requirement. >> More Info | |||||
| GEAR UP Scholarship | Entitlement | Student must have participated in the GEAR UP program in middle and/or high school. >> More Info | |||||
| High Demand Scholarship | Program-Specific | Student must be enrolled in an eligible program of study in a designated high need field and maintain a minimum college-level GPA of 3.0. >> More Info | |||||
| In-Demand Scholarship | Program-Specific | Student must be a current undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in an eligible program of study in a designated in-demand field and maintain a minimum college-level GPA of 3.0. >> More Info | |||||
| John and Abigail Adams Scholarship | Merit-Based | Student must have a combined Mathematics/ELA MCAS score in the top 25% of their school district. >> More Info | |||||
| Tomorrow’s Teachers Scholarship | Program-Specific | Student must be enrolled in an approved course of study and commit to fulfilling the service obligation within 12 months of degree completion. >> More Info |
A loan is money that is borrowed from the state government, federal government or a private source like a bank or financial institution and must be paid back.
| Program | Type of Aid | Full-time Student | Part-time Student | Public Community College Student | Public State University or UMass Student | Private College/ University Student | Other Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Interest Loan | Need-Based | Can be used at any public or private postsecondary school issuing undergraduate degrees and/or certificates in MA. >> More Info |
A tuition waiver is a financial aid program designed to help reduce part or all of your tuition costs.
| Program | Type of Aid | Full-time Student | Part-time Student | Public Community College Student | Public State University or UMass Student | Private College/ University Student | Other Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categorical Tuition Waivers | Entitlement | Student must be Native American, veteran, or senior citizen enrolled in undergraduate degree or certificate program. >> More Info | |||||
| DCF Adopted Child Tuition Waiver and Fee Assistance | Entitlement | Student must have been adopted through DCF by a state employee or eligible Massachusetts resident and must not be over age 24. >> More Info | |||||
| DCF Foster Child Tuition Waiver and Fee Assistance | Entitlement | Student must be a current or former foster child placed in the custody of the state by order of the court and not adopted or returned home, or have guardianship sponsored by DCF through age 18. >> More Info | |||||
| Need-Based Tuition Waiver | Need-Based | Student cannot already have a bachelor's degree. >> More Info |
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