Scholarships in Engineering

Scholarship applications for the College of Engineering open annually in mid-December and close in early March.  Current students will receive a direct email in December with specific deadlines. Please direct questions to the Office of Student Affairs: coescholarships [at] umass [dot] edu (coescholarships[at]umass[dot]edu) 

All CURRENT undergraduate College of Engineering students who intend to return to UMass Amherst for the upcoming academic year are encouraged to apply!  Simply enroll in AcademicWorks, fill out both the UMass general application and the College of Engineering Application to get started. 

First-year engineering majors entering UMass Amherst in Fall: There are a limited number of merit scholarships offered through the University Admissions Office to the top applicants in the incoming class. Selection for these scholarships is based on your application to UMass Amherst (i.e. high school transcript, SAT scores, class rank, essay, etc.). There is no separate application to submit. For more information, visit the main UMass scholarships page. 

Application and Award Cycle Timeline for 2024/25 Academic Year

• December 15, 2023:  Application period opens. 
• March 1, 2024:  Application period closes. 
• March-April 2024:   Applications are reviewed by Award Committees, and award recommendations are made. 
• May 2024:  Scholarship awards are communicated to students, and award winners are asked to provide relevant information. 
• July 2024:  Award information is sent to the Financial Aid Office so the scholarships are credited to your account for the Fall 2024 semester. 

How to Enroll and Apply for an Engineering Scholarship:

• Go to the AcademicWorks webpage and sign in with your UMass Net ID and password. 
• Complete both the General and College of Engineering Applications. Please be sure to answer ALL questions. Essays should be well thought-out and presented professionally, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Please note you will not see applications for individual scholarships, you will only see the General and College of Engineering Applications. 
• Click on any recommended opportunity links and upload supplementary documents (scholarship specific essays, resumes, letters from faculty, etc.). 
• Check your dashboard, which shows you the status of any pending and submitted applications. 

Essay Questions

There are three College of Engineering essays, each limited to 350 words.

• Describe a personal, professional, or educational experience or situation that was important in clarifying or strengthening your motivation for a career in engineering.
• What is the most difficult challenge you’ve faced? How has it impacted your personal growth or intended career path?
• Describe a time when you demonstrated leadership and the impact it had on those around you.

Recommended Opportunities

Academic Works is the scholarship system for the university, it automatically matches you with the scholarships and financial awards for which you are eligible. These include scholarships and financial awards offered through the College of Engineering, Commonwealth Honors College, the Alumni Association, financial aid, and your major department. All scholarships offered at UMass are in the AcademicWorks Platform. 

We have received a few questions about the list of recommended opportunities that you will see in AcademicWorks after completing your General and College of Engineering Applications.

• By completing the College of Engineering scholarship application, you are automatically applied to all Engineering scholarships for which you qualify
• The list of recommended opportunities are scholarships that are available campus-wide that require additional application materials. You will not see the Engineering scholarships in the list of recommended opportunities because you do not need to submit additional materials for them.
• Please note that qualifying does not guarantee you will receive a scholarship. You will be notified via your UMass email if you are selected to receive a scholarship. 

What Happens After You Apply:

• Applications are reviewed — matched to criteria from the donor. 
• You may be asked to interview for scholarships tied to internships. 
• The scholarship committee, with representatives from each department, meets to begin selecting recipients. 
• Notification emails are sent through AcademicWorks in early summer. 
• You will be required to complete a thank you letter to your scholarship donor and to submit the letter through AcademicWorks for review and approval. 
• Credit will be applied to your university bill and will appear as an engineering scholarship. 
• Scholarships may be affected if you decide to change your major or are not enrolled as a full-time student during the upcoming school year. 
• If other scholarships become available during the academic year, you will be considered and notified if you are selected. 

Over $400,000 in undergraduate scholarship support is awarded by the College of Engineering each year—helping students reach their academic and professional goals. These scholarships were generously funded by alumni and friends who wish to recognize academic success and/or address the unmet financial need of our students. 

If you have questions about the software, please email acadworks [at] umass [dot] edu (acadworks[at]umass[dot]edu).