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 21 at 11:59 p.m. Apply on AcademicWorks |
| Honors Research/Creative Activity Grants | Designed to pay for materials and activities (up to $1,000) directly related to your research project as a junior or senior. | Apply online using PATHS. Two cycles: priority deadline October 8 for spring funding, and April 8 for funding the following fall. Applications accepted on a rolling basis after the priority deadline until funds are exhausted. |
| Research Assistant/Creative Activity Fellowships | Minimum wage arrangements (up to $750) for you to work with a faculty member on their or your own research project at any point during your CHC career. | Apply online using PATHS. Two cycles: priority deadline October 8 for spring funding, and April 8 for funding the following fall. Applications accepted on a rolling basis after the priority deadline until funds are exhausted. |
| 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. | Applications open September 2 and close October 8. Apply on AcademicWorks |
| Lunch & Learn Connection Grants | Get to know a professor better! Commonwealth Honors College encourages students to get to know faculty, especially with an eye toward meeting or being referred to potential Honors Thesis mentors. Request a pair of meal cards to invite a faculty member to lunch! | Apply with this form. Rolling deadline until funds are exhausted. One pair per student. Must be signed into your UMass google account) |
| Designed for students presenting at or wishing to attend a conference. Awards of up to $400 or $750. One award per student per academic year. | 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. Apply on AcademicWorks |
| MassURC Poster Printing Grant | Designed to cover the cost of large-format poster printing for students presenting at the Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate Research Conference (MassURC) in April. | Application opens in late March. Apply on AcademicWorks |