Undergraduate Scholarships

Department of Economics Scholarships

Please note that the dollar amounts listed below are subject to change depending on availability of funds each year. Unless noted, all recipients are selected by the Department's scholarship committee based on the application packages submitted by the student. Please see the application for specific requirements and eligibility.

Download the 2012-2013 Department of Economics Scholarship Application. The deadline to apply is 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, 2013.

Economics Alumni Award for Distinguished Service ($500)
Granted by the Economics Alumni Advisory Board to students who have contributed extensively to the UMass Amherst community, particularly to the Economics Department.

Economics Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement ($500)
This award is granted by the Economics Alumni Advisory Board to a student who has demonstrated outstanding achievement, either academically or within service to the university or community. Preference will be given to students with demonstrated financial need.

Economics Writing Award ($1,000)
This award will be presented to the student with the best paper in economics. No application is necessary for this award. Traditionally, papers are submitted by course instructors but they can also be self-submitted to Kevin Crocker at jcrocker@econs.umass.edu. If you have written an outstanding paper for an economics course, please encourage the instructor to submit the paper or email the paper yoruself, along with the instructor's name, to Kevin Crocker for consideration.

E.W. Eldridge Jr. Memorial Scholarship ($500)
The E.W. Eldridge Jr. Memorial Endowment was established in 1966 for the purpose of awarding scholarships to economics students. Applicants will be judged on the strength of their completed application. Preference will be given to students who have demonstrated financial need.

Highest Academic Achievement Award ($500)
The Highest Academic Achievement Award, granted by the Department Chair, will be presented to a junior or senior primary major with the highest GPA within the major. No application is necessary for this award. Students will automatically be considered and selected based on GPA. One award is given out per year.

James Kindahl Award ($1,000)
This prize will be awarded to an economics student with a commitment to social issues or public policy concerns, strong writing skills, and/or a record of excellence in economic history. These are all things that were important to Professor James Kindahl, whom the prize honors. Professor Kindahl taught in the economics department from 1967 until 1998 when he retired. In addition to teaching he also served as Department Chair for three years and as Undergraduate Program Director for many years. Professor Kindahl passed away in 2003 and this award was established in his memory.

Sherry Barber Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship ($2,500 - $5,000)
The Sherry Barber Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship, supported by a fund established in honor of Sherry Barber, provides tuition support to economics students. Sherry Barber graduated from the Department of Economics in 1943. The child of an orphaned Irish mother and an Italian immigrant father, Sherry worked for the War Labor Board in Boston helping to establish minimum wages across the country, while earning a Master’s in Economics from Harvard and a law degree from Boston College.

Ward McCarthy Scholarship for Interns ($2,500)
This award was made possible by the generosity of F. Ward McCarthy ’73. This scholarship will be awarded to students with a confirmed internship during the 2013 calendar year. Preference will be given to students with unpaid internships.

Other UMass Scholarships

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Scholarships: SBS awards over 70 scholarships annually including support for study abroad, internships, research and more.

UMass Amherst Alumni Association: Each year, the Alumni Association presents more than 100 scholarships and over $90,000 to worthy students.

The University of Massachusetts Scholarship Database: Hundreds of need- and merit- based scholarships are available for UMass undergraduate and graduate students.