The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship provides a merit-based tuition waiver for high-achieving students. This scholarship is for students at Massachusetts public high schools. It rewards high achievement on the 10th-grade MCAS tests.
The scholarship covers the cost of tuition at Massachusetts public colleges. These institutions include UMass campuses, state universities, and community colleges. The award is valid for eight semesters of full-time undergraduate study.
The scholarship does not cover other costs. These costs include mandatory fees, room and board, and books. Students must fund these additional expenses through other means, such as savings, loans, or other scholarships.
Coverage
The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship provides a credit for tuition only. The exact dollar value of this waiver depends on the institution you attend. The credit is applied directly to your student bill. This award is not a cash grant. You must enroll as a full-time student to receive the waiver.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Adams Scholarship, students must meet three specific criteria based on their 10th-grade MCAS scores.
- Students must score in the Advanced category on one of the three MCAS tests.
- Students must score in the Proficient or Advanced category on the other two MCAS tests.
- Students must have a combined score that places them in the top 25% of their school district.
Eligibility is determined automatically. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education notifies eligible students in the fall of their senior year.
Application Process
There is no separate application to win the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. To use the scholarship in college, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Ttudent Aid (FAFSA) or the Massachusetts Application for State Financial Aid (MASFA) annually. You must also maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA in college to keep the scholarship for all eight semesters.
Deadline
There is no application deadline for the initial award. Eligibility is based on your 10th-grade MCAS test results. The important deadline is for the FAFSA or MASFA, which you must submit each year to renew the tuition waiver. The Massachusetts FAFSA priority deadline is May 1, 2026.
