Making College in Massachusetts Affordable

Not everyone can instantly afford college, and that's okay! This page has many different ways to make colleges in Massachusetts affordable for everyone.

It's best to begin by applying for federal aid, so you will need to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The good news is that the Obama administration is working to dramatically simplify this historically daunting form, and the FAFSA can also be used to get non-federal aid if you'll need more. The FAFSA is an important first step, so just getting it done is worth your time!

Scholarships:

The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA)

MEFA is committed to making college more accessible and affordable. They are a non-profit self-financing state authority, not reliant on state or federal appropriation, that serves students and families in Massachusetts and out-of-state students and families pursuing higher education in Massachusetts. With MEFA, you'll find all the intelligence you need to finance an education. Because they're a non-profit, you can count on straightforward advice about financing higher education

Access here: Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority

STEM Scholar Internship Match Program

The STEM Scholar Internship Match Program defines STEM majors as programs designated by the U.S. Department of Education in its Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) list, exclusive of foreign languages. The STEM Scholar Internship Match Program provides financial aid support, through matching funds, to students who have received a corporate scholarship and/or paid internship. The program encourages students to obtain employment in the Massachusetts upon graduation.

Access here: STEM Scholar Internship Match Program

The Commonwealth Covenant Fund

The Commonwealth Covenant Fund is an innovative program that provides accessible tuition loan repayments to undergraduate students who attend public universities or colleges in Massachusetts and stay to pursue careers in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields. The initiative is designed at making the Commonwealth a national leader in the STEM fields and developing a dynamic workforce by keeping talented professionals in Massachusetts. The Fund will enhance the ability of students to pursue degrees in these sectors while enabling the Commonwealth to strengthen its economy by expanding its STEM-related industries.

Access here: Commonwealth Covenant Fund

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ThinkHBCU.org

HBCU.org is a site specifically devoted to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. HBCU campuses provide a very rich social environment which will help to prepare you for the life after college. HBCUs understand the challenges of inner city students who may need just a little more support to make it in college. They provide a very indepth scholarship lists on the links below:

Access here:
• How to Pay for College
• Scholarship List 1
• Scholarship List 2
• Scholarship List 3
• Scholarship List 4

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Instistute

The mission of CHCI Scholarship Program is to provide critical financial assistance that will increase graduation rates among Latino students in post-secondary education. CHCI's scholarship opportunities are afforded to Latino students who have a history of performing public service-oriented activities in their communities and who demonstrate a desire to continue their civic engagement in the future. There is no GPA or academic major requirement. Students with excellent leadership potential are encouraged to apply.

CHCI scholarships provide recipients with a one time scholarship of:

$1,000 community college or AA/AS granting institution
$2,500 4-year academic institution
$5,000 graduate-level institution
Scholarship awards are intended to provide assistance with tuition, room and board, textbooks, and other educational expenses associated with college enrollment.

Access application: Click here to apply

African-American Women in Computer Science (AAWCS) Scholarship Program

Florida A & M University is providing an outstanding opportunity for Black women entering college in the fall of 2009. It is designed to address their absence in the field of computer technology. Dr. Jason Black is the Principal Investigator of a recently awarded $552,000 NSF Grant entitled African-American Women in Computer Science. The grant provides scholarships from $4000 to $10,000 per year for female African American students.

Eligibility:

• Must be a FAMU Undergraduate Student (either Entering Freshman, Current Student or Transfer)
• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be enrolled in Computer and Information Sciences (CIS), Computer Engineering, or Mathematics•
• Must have a minimum 2.5 GPA at the time of applying
• Must show evidence of Financial Need

Application Deadline if planning for spring enrollment:
December 1 of the previous year

Application and more information accessible here: http://www.cis.famu.edu/~aawcs

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