Frequently Asked Questions: Scholarships

Are scholarships different from loans?
Answer: Yes. Apply away!

I have a J1 visa. Can I apply for scholarships?
Answer: Yes.

I’m thinking of applying to UMass Nursing. Can I apply for scholarships?
Answer: Thank you for considering UMass Amherst for your nursing education! Scholarships are only available for current students.

I'm planning on attending UMass Amherst. When can I apply for scholarships?
Answer: Thank you for choosing UMass Amherst! Marieb College of Nursing scholarships open once a year in September. New students who are currently enrolled in classes when scholarships open in September are eligible to apply. Our Seedworks Scholars program is for incoming underrepresented first-year students, however.

Where do I apply for scholarships?
Answer: UMass AcademicWorks. Link not working? Make sure to enter umass.academicworks.com into your browser, no "www" preceding it.

I'm a senior. Can I apply?
Answer: Funds are distributed to student accounts in fall for the current academic year. If you graduate before the fall semester, explore other scholarship opportunities.

When does the scholarship application cycle open?
Answer: In September. Every student receives emails with particular information closer to the open date. 

How many scholarships can I apply for?
Answer: It depends. The number varies based on as many as you qualify for. You just need to complete the general application, College of Nursing application, and if applicable, answer questions for the Dr. Sheridan, Dr. Hayes, and Elizabeth Woolrich scholarships (these require certain criteria to apply for). Then you'll be applied for all possible scholarships. You'll receive an email detailing this information. Explore undergraduate scholarships.

Which scholarships are available to apply for?
Answer: Scholarships are available for undergraduate and graduate students, including ABSN students. When you log into AcademicWorks, complete the general application and the College of Nursing application. You’ll be automatically matched into all of the scholarships that you are eligible for. Note: The Dr. Sheridan, Dr. Hayes, and Elizabeth Woolrich scholarships require an extra question to be answered for your application to be completed.

I'm a freshman/first-year student. Which transcripts should I include?
Answer: If you are in the first year of the UMass Nursing program, upload the most current transcript from the high school/institution you came from. Otherwise, please include your UMass transcripts.

Am I eligible to apply if I'm enrolled in a certificate program?
Answer: No. All current students must be enrolled in a degree program when scholarships reach student accounts.

Can I apply for a scholarship if I received one last year?
Answer: Yes. By completing the AcademicWorks application, you'll be considered for the other scholarships available.

What format can I submit my transcript and resume/CV?
Answer: PDF format is preferred, word documents accepted. Please do not save your document .pages, as we cannot open that file type in AcademicWorks.

I've filled out the general and conditional (nursing-specific) applications. What is the list of scholarships I'm seeing?
Answer: Those are scholarships that you might be eligible for. These typically require an extra essay question. Don't forget to fill these out!

How do I know if I have completed my scholarship applications?
Answer: The AcademicWorks dashboard will indiciate the status of your application(s).

When can I see when I’ve been matched with a scholarship opportunity?
Answer: You will know by December 31 either way, if you will receive a scholarship or do not.

I submitted the general application and the College of Nursing application in AcademicWorks. Now what?
Answer: Make sure you’ve answered all of the questions for the Dr. Sheridan, Dr. Hayes, and Woolrich scholarships if you are eligible for those scholarships. If you’ve done that, congratulations—you're all done for now! If we need more information, we will reach out to you.

Who decides the scholarship awardees?
Answer: The Scholarship Committee, comprised of administration and faculty from our undergraduate, graduate, and accelerated programs, decides the awardees.

I’ve received a scholarship! What do I need to do?
Answer: Congratulations! By March 10, you need to:

• Log into umass.academicworks.com
• Accept the award
• Upload a high-quality professional picture
• Upload a personal biography (first or third person is fine)
• Upload a thank-you note (should be 2-3 paragraphs. Please explain why you are grateful for being awarded a scholarship and what this will enable you to do in your studies and/or career)

Great! I did all of that. Why does it say $0 for my award?
Answer: Apologies for the wait; you’ll find out the award amount by April 30.

I want to look at other scholarship application opportunities for UMass students. Where can I go?
Answer: Explore scholarship opportunities from UMass Amherst Financial Aid.

Is my information saved every year in the system?
Answer: Don’t count on it. Some information might be saved, but the AcademicWorks system does a clean sweep of all of the applications after the process is done. Please save all of your work on a personal drive.

How will I know when the scholarship money is in my UMass account?
Answer: You will receive an email to your UMass account in September (a year after you applied) notifying you that the funds have reached your account. The funds will be applied to your bursar’s bill.

Do my scholarship funds reflect on my fall balance?
Answer: Yes. When recipients receive the amount of their scholarship in April, by the end of May, the scholarship amount will be reflected in SPIRE. At this point, this scholarship amount is automatically applied to the fall bill and is factored into the amount the student will owe. Please note the funds actually reach the student account in September, but the scholarship dollar amount will be reflected in the fall bill amount by the end of May.