About Us

The Office of National Scholarship Advisement (ONSA) is committed to educating the UMass Amherst community about nationally competitive scholarships and advising students and recent alumni in their pursuit of these opportunities. We provide advisement and support to academically talented students through their application process for highly competitive scholarships, including essay reviews, reflection conversations, and interview practice. We value the preparation and application process as an enriching professional experience that helps students to clarify their personal values and career goals and get a better sense of the most appropriate graduate programs for their interests. Through this process, applicants become more aware of their strengths, clarify their early career goals, and improve their writing skills by drafting personal statements and application essays. The application process for a national scholarship has value beyond receiving or not the award 

Students who go through the application process learn about them themselves and value the personal growth from this process that supplements their formal classroom education. ONSA is also the home of the International Scholars Program (ISP), which admits students who pursue international study. Here, the ISP scholars are provided advisement on national scholarships, academic preparation before and after returning from abroad, and support for their international experience during their junior year. The ISP introduces students to the multi-dimensional aspects of being a world citizen in the 21st century. Through advisement, mentoring, and teaching, ONSA contributes to the promotion of a vibrant community of scholars who are talented, globally engaged, and determined to contribute to their academic field and beyond to make our society a better place to live, both home and abroad. 

Contact and Appointments

Contact onsa [at] honors [dot] umass [dot] edu (ONSA )with your questions or to arrange an appointment with a scholarship advisor.

Office of National Scholarship Advisement
3rd floor, Commonwealth Honors College
University of Massachusetts Amherst
157 Commonwealth Avenue
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-9253

onsa [at] honors [dot] umass [dot] edu (onsa[at]honors[dot]umass[dot]edu)
phone: 413-545-7520