UMass Amherst Advantage
Free tuition for eligible students at UMass Amherst
With UMass Amherst Advantage, a world-class higher education is more attainable than ever. Beginning with the Fall 2025 semester, if your household earns an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less, you can qualify to attend UMass Amherst at no cost for tuition and mandatory fees. At UMass, you can explore hundreds of majors and programs, join dynamic clubs, and find belonging and connection in a supportive campus community.
Start your journey at UMass Amherst—the No. 1 public university in New England—tuition-free.
How Does UMass Amherst Advantage Work?
If you qualify for UMass Amherst Advantage, 100% of your tuition and mandatory fees are covered by federal, state, and institutional aid. If you can answer yes to the following questions, chances are you qualify:
- Does your family have an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less?
- Are you a Massachusetts resident? (see UMass Amherst’s in-state residency classification)
- Are you eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant?
Prospective students can apply for UMass Amherst Advantage by completing the Common App and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Massachusetts Application for State Financial Aid.
Students who qualify are guaranteed to receive a combination of federal, state, and institutional grants and/or scholarships that will cover their tuition and mandatory academic fees.
- Eligible students must be enrolled full-time (12 or more credits per semester) in a traditional on-campus undergraduate degree-granting program.
- Fees associated with University Without Walls (UWW) / University+ courses are not eligible.
- Students pursuing a second bachelor's degree, master’s degree, or doctorate degree are not eligible.
- Students enrolled in “non-degree-granting” academic programs are not eligible.
- Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in accordance with institutional and federal standards.
- Complete FAFSA or MASFA and meet all eligibility requirements prior to March 1.
- If the student is a FAFSA filer, the student must qualify for the Federal Pell Grant with a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $7,000 or less.
- If the student is a MASFA filer, the student must have a MASFA Student Aid Index (SAI) figure of $7,500 or less.
Our Commitment to Making Education Accessible
At UMass Amherst, we’re committed to expanding educational access. Almost a quarter of UMass Amherst students demonstrate high financial need, many of them the first in their families to attend college.
The Healey-Driscoll Administration's investment in MassGrant Plus and MassGrant Plus Expansion has allowed an increased capacity for financial aid. Now, qualifying students will have total tuition and mandatory fees covered through a combination of federal, state, and institutional aid.
Driving Massachusetts Forward
As the flagship public university in Massachusetts, we don’t take our responsibility to the commonwealth lightly. In addition to generating a seven-to-one dollar return on investment of state monies and contributing significantly to the state's economic health, we train highly skilled individuals who propel the industries that make Massachusetts exceptional: medicine, technology, green energy, and more.
Providing an accessible, world-class education to our state’s residents is good for Massachusetts—and we are committed to the common good.
The scholarships that I had made UMass the best option financially. This affordability, combined with educational quality that matches more expensive private schools, made UMass a great value!
There are many ways to help finance your college education, including scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study opportunities.
Funding from outside sources (i.e., not federal, state, or university funds) can be “stacked” on top of UMass Amherst Advantage funding and may be used to pay room, board, and other educational expenses. Make sure you explore all the possibilities through the Office of Financial Aid, ask for help when you need it, and get all your forms in on time.
FAQs
UMass Amherst Advantage is available to qualifying Massachusetts residents who are also eligible for state aid. As a state institution, the University of Massachusetts Amherst sets tuition and fees for undergraduate students based on this residency classification, as defined by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and the New England Board of Higher Education.
For dependent students, AGI is the parent and student AGI as reported on the FAFSA. For independent students, AGI would be the student (and spouse, if married) AGI as reported on the FAFSA. The FAFSA uses prior-prior year AGI information; therefore, for fall 2025, the 2025-26 FAFSA will collect 2023 federal tax information.
No additional application or steps are required to be considered for UMass Amherst Advantage. As stated above, students must meet all eligibility requirements and admissions and financial aid deadlines and requirements by June 1.
Students who do not meet the eligibility requirements for UMass Amherst Advantage may still qualify for merit scholarships and/or financial aid. Students must meet eligibility requirements each semester in order to have tuition and mandatory fees covered under UMass Amherst Advantage.
No. While you must be enrolled in a traditional on-campus undergraduate degree-granting program, there is no housing requirement to be eligible for UMass Amherst Advantage.
Yes, current UMass Amherst students who meet the eligibility requirements will qualify for free tuition and mandatory fees under UMass Amherst Advantage starting in Fall 2025.
UMass Amherst Advantage covers in-state tuition and mandatory fees. The program does not cover the cost of campus housing, meals, required fees, or program/college-specific curriculum fees. For a list of tuition and mandatory fees, please see the bursar's office Tuition and Fees page.
No. The program does not pay summer and winter session fees.
Eligibility is reviewed and re-determined each year. Students must complete FAFSA or MASFA each year to be reviewed.
The award is good for up to four years (eight consecutive fall and spring semesters) of full-time undergraduate work.
Yes, students must complete the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) each year to qualify. Students who are ineligible to file the FAFSA but qualify to complete the Massachusetts Application for Student Financial Aid (MASFA) must do so.
New students must meet all posted admissions application deadlines to qualify. Students must complete FAFSA or MASFA and meet all eligibility requirements prior to March 1.
Students enrolled in a study abroad program or are taking approved courses at another institution are eligible for UMass Amherst Advantage.
For questions about cost or aid, students can contact the Office of Financial Aid.
If you have questions about applying to attend UMass Amherst, contact admissions@umass.edu.