Current Honors College Students
You have many options for financial support in Commonwealth Honors College.
As a current Commonwealth Honors College student, there are many options for financial support. You may apply for competitive Commonwealth Honors College scholarships and research funding. Additionally, there are scholarships available through your major, your department, and your academic college, as well as university-wide Presidential scholarships. The Office of National Scholarship Advisement is a great resource for applying for national and international scholarships—and they have many 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.
Quick Summary of Student Funding Through Commonwealth Honors College
| Funding Type | What is it? | How to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Scholarships | CHC offers many donor-funded scholarships with a wide variety of criteria. The majority take financial need into consideration, and most (but not all) are designed to be applied to your bill in the following academic year. | AcademicWorks applications open September 2 and close February 22. Scholarship Opportunities : Commonwealth Honors College : UMass Amherst |
| Honors Research Grants | Designed to pay for materials and activities (up to $1,000) directly related to your research project as a junior or senior. | PATHS. Two cycles: late October applications for spring funding, and mid April for funding the following fall. Honors Research Grants : Commonwealth Honors College : UMass Amherst |
| Research Assistant Fellowships | Minimum wage arrangements (up to $750) for you to work with a faculty member on their or your own research project during your sophomore or junior year. | PATHS. Two cycles: late October applications for spring funding, and mid April for funding the following fall. Honors Research Assistant Fellowships : Commonwealth Honors College : UMass Amherst |
| Finish Strong Honors Thesis Awards | A CHC-funded stipend of $2,500 for you to focus on completing your Honors thesis. CHC will offer one stipend for Spring 2026 per school/college for this award. | AcademicWorks. Applications open September 2 and close September 22. https://www.umass.edu/honors/scholarships/research-funding-opportunities |
| Lunch & Learn Connection Grants | Get to know a professor better! For all CHC students: request a pair of meal cards to take a faculty member to lunch. | Meet with a CHC advisor to identify a professor and ask for meal cards. Rolling deadline. One pair of meal cards per applicant until they are gone. https://www.umass.edu/honors/scholarships/research-funding-opportunities |
CHC Conference Travel Grants
| Designed for students presenting at or wishing to attend a conference. Awards of up to $400 or $750. | AcademicWorks. Application opens September 2. Rolling deadline. Awards made until funds run out. Funds are intended for future attendance, retroactive funding requests will be considered in May if funds are still available. https://www.umass.edu/honors/scholarships/research-funding-opportunities |
| MassURC Poster Printing Grant | Designed to cover the cost of large-format poster printing for students presenting at the Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate Research Conference in April (MassURC). | AcademicWorks. Application opens in late March. https://www.umass.edu/honors/scholarships/research-funding-opportunities |