In addition to funding specifically for Honors College students, you’ll find funding possibilities connected to your major, department, and academic college, as well as campus-wide options. UMass Amherst students are frequently awarded national and international scholarships, and the Office of National Scholarship Advisement provides support and guidance to help you develop your most competitive application.
Incoming First-Year and Transfer Students
The UMass Admissions Office oversees ALL application, financial aid, and scholarship decisions for students new to UMass Amherst.
UMass Amherst offers both merit and need-based scholarships to incoming first-year and transfer Honors College students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in academic, extracurricular, and leadership activities. Your application for admission to the university also serves as your application for these scholarships. If you are selected to receive a scholarship, you will be notified in writing by the Undergraduate Admissions Office. For questions and more information, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
Please note that Commonwealth Honors College does not evaluate applications for admission to the Honors College or for scholarships for incoming first-year and transfer students.
Current Honors College Students
As a current Honors College student, there are many options for financial support. You may apply for the competitive awards for Commonwealth Honors College scholarships and research funding. Additionally, there are scholarships available through your major, your department, and your academic college, and university-wide Presidential scholarships. The Office of National Scholarship Advisement is a great resource for applying for national and international scholarships — and they have tons of success stories from recent alumni to inspire you to aim high!
We encourage you to start exploring scholarships early in your college career. Preparing for these opportunities requires work well in advance of submission deadlines.
Scholarship Opportunities
Commonwealth Honors College Scholarships
Honors students who are currently enrolled at UMass and have attended at least one semester may be eligible for one of our many scholarships. You’ll need to log into the campus scholarship application portal, Academic Works, to apply. Once you’ve completed the CHC “conditional” application, the portal will match your profile with our scholarship opportunities.
View a list of scholarships generously funded by alumni, parents, and friends of the Honors College.
Campus and Presidential Scholarships
The Academic Works portal also includes scholarships specific to your major, department, and college, as well as Presidential scholarships (administered through the University's Office of the President).
National and International Scholarships
The Office of National Scholarship Advisement (ONSA), housed in Commonwealth Honors College, works with eligible students to apply for distinguished nationally and internationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. ONSA offers advice on application information, recommendations, study and research proposals, personal statements, and interview preparation.
Research Funding Opportunities
As an Honors College student, you can also apply for our competitive research grants and fellowships to support research for your Honors Thesis or to gain experience in research in your academic field.
Commonwealth Honors College offers two competitive funding possibilities to help you turn your idea into reality: Honors Research Grants and Research Assistant Fellowships. In addition to acquiring financing to purchase equipment or to work in a faculty member’s lab, you’ll also learn how to successfully apply for grants, present your research findings, and gain hands-on research experience. Remember, you are paving the way to a successful research project while gaining expertise that will help you stand out on your graduate school or job application.
You’ll apply for our research grants and fellowships through CHC’s PATHS portal.
How to Use Academic Works
Here’s a great video tutorial on how to use Academic Works to apply for scholarships.
Related
View a list of scholarships generously funded by alumni, parents, and friends of the Honors College.
Honors Research Grants support your own research project or creative work under the guidance of a Faculty Sponsor. These competitive funds also teach you how to gain grant application skills and are often used to fund Honors Thesis projects.
These competitive fellowships help fund your experience working on a faculty member's research project as a research assistant.
