Scholarships & Awards for SBS Students

2016 Ansin Study Abroad award winners stand with Ron Ansin and his family

We offer a variety of scholarships to support you and help you reach your academic and professional goals. If you are pursuing internships, studying abroad, or working on research projects, we encourage you to apply. SBS also provides financial support for outstanding academic achievements, need-based situations, and work-related endeavors.

All your scholarships. All in one place.

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) has implemented an exciting and convenient new system, Academic Works, which automatically matches you with the scholarships and financial awards you’re eligible for. These include scholarships and financial awards offered through SBS, Commonwealth Honors College, CICS, the Alumni Association, financial aid, and your major department. By spring 2019, all scholarships offered at UMass will be in the Academic Works Platform.
 
Simply enroll in Academic Works, fill out both the UMass general application and the SBS Application to get started. These include funding for internships, study abroad, financial need, and research.

How to enroll and apply

  1. Go to the Academic Works webpage and sign in with your UMass Net ID and password.
  2. Complete both the General and SBS Applications. Once you do this, you’ll see all the scholarships you qualify for.
  3. Click on a scholarship link and upload supplementary documents (resumes, letters from faculty, etc., depending on the award)
  4. Submit your application and see your dashboard, which shows you the status of any pending and submitted applications.

If you have questions, please email us at acadworks@umass.edu.

Enroll in Academic Works

Scholarships and Awards by Category

Internship Awards

 

SBS Internship Award

Funded by multiple donors, this award supports SBS students who will complete internships during the summer, fall semester or academic year.  Candidates must be in good academic standing with at least 45 credits.  Preference will be given to students with confirmed offers from employers. Students who are awaiting formal confirmation may still apply. All internships must be confirmed to receive the award. 

Average award: Approximately 5 awards of up to $2,000.  

Eligibility: SBS majors taking unpaid or underpaid internships connected to their professional interests or field of study  

Deadline: 3/31/2018

Notification: Notification on your award status will take place the week of 4/16/18.

The Scott J. Bacherman Internship Awards

There are three scholarships available through the Scott J. Bacherman Fund. 

Two $3000 awards are available for journalism majors who have secured internships in media fields such as, but not limited to, print, broadcast, convergent, digital, emerging or cross platform; or those who have secured internships in journalism, sports, entertainment or public relations.

One $3000 award will support a student of any major in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences who has secured an internship in media fields such as, but not limited to, print, broadcast, convergent, digital, emerging or cross platform; or those who have secured internships in journalism, sports, entertainment or public relations.

Eligibility: Preference will be given to students who have experience, paid or unpaid, in campus media including, but not limited to, WMUA, TV19, Daily Collegian or Amherst Wire. Eligible recipients must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have demonstrated financial need as determined by the financial aid office. 

Deadline: 4/15/2018

Connor Internship Award

Funded by Paula J. and James Meyer, this award supports SBS students who will complete internships during the summer or fall semester. Candidates must be in good academic standing with at least 45 credits. Preference will be given to students with financial need as determined by the financial aid office. Preference will be given to students with confirmed offers from employers but students who are awaiting formal confirmation may still apply. All internships must be confirmed to receive the award.

Eligibility: Seniors graduating in Spring 2018 are not eligible to apply, and you must have 45 residential credits.

Deadline: 3/31/2018

Notification: Notification on your award status will take place the week of 4/16/18.

Christopher C. Gardner Internship Award 

This scholarship was funded by SBS alum Christopher C. Gardner and supports SBS students who are conducting an internship abroad or with an international company with offices in major US cities or conducting an internship in the technology or E-commerce industries. Students must have a 3.0 GPA or better to apply.   Preference will be given to students with financial need as determined by the financial aid office. Preference will be given to students with confirmed offers from employers but students who are awaiting formal confirmation may still apply. All internships must be confirmed to receive the award.

Eligibility: Seniors graduating in Spring 2018 are not eligible to apply. Over a 3.0 GPA required.

Deadline:3/31/2018  

Notification: Notification on your award status will take place the week of 4/16/18.

Study Abroad Awards

 

Ansin Study Abroad Fellowship

Supports undergraduates in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences who plan to study abroad during the summer, fall semester or for a full year.

Average award: Approximately 20 scholarships, averaging $1,000 each are given in the spring. | Deadline 3/22/18 

Notification: Notification on your award status will take place the week of 4/30/18.

Research Awards

Feldman-Vorwerk Family Undergraduate Research Award

Funded by Deputy Chancellor Robert Feldman and his wife, former faculty member Katherine Vorwerk this scholarship supports an undergraduate student who is working as a research assistant with a UMass Amherst faculty member in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Preference is given to candidates who are conducting original research that has the potential to address current social problems.

Average award: three awards of up to $2,000 are given annually in the fall.  Applications will open in September 2018.

Eligibility: SBS majors who have set up collaborative research projects with a member of the UMass Faculty. The faculty sponsor should submit a nomination describing your fit and qualifications for the targeted project.   

Financial Need

 

William M. Bluestein Memorial Scholarship

Supports an SBS student with demonstrated academic and/or career interests in economics, technology or public policy. Preference will be given to students who are first in their family to attend college and those who have demonstrated financial need.

Award: one award of up to $2,000 awarded annually in spring & distributed in fall.  |  Deadline 3/22/18 

Notification: Notification on your award status will take place the week of 4/30/18.

Sam Butterfield Daily Collegian Memorial Scholarship

Supports a student (any major, campus-wide) who works at The Daily Collegian and has demonstrated financial need. The successful candidate will also possess outstanding journalistic skills and ethics, a passion for news reporting.

Award: one award of up to $1,000 is awarded annually in the spring.  |  Deadline: 4/13/2018 

Notification: Notification on your award status will take place the week of 4/30/18.

The Joel D. Lapin and Family Scholarship in Social Sciences 

Created to honor the memory of Joel's parents Aaron and Anne Lapin. Their love, sacrifices and support enabled him to be the first in his family to attend and graduate college.  It expresses his appreciation of UMass Amherst for the superb undergraduate and graduate education that he received. This scholarship supports an undergraduate student from Massachusetts with a declared major in the SBS with a GPA of at least 3.0. Preference given to a student who has transferred from a Massachusetts Community College and is the first in his/her family to attend college. Must have demonstrated financial need and this scholarship is intended to support those from middle-income families who qualify for financial aid, but not for free sources of funding. Award is renewable for one year if the student maintains the GPA and financial need requirements. 

Award: one award of $1,500 awarded annually in spring & distributed in fall.  |  Deadline: 3/22/18 

Notification: Notification on your award status will take place the week of 4/30/18.

Maillet Scholarship

This scholarship supports undergraduate SBS students who aspire to a career in federal, state or city government agencies that serve the public. Students must have financial need as determined by the financial aid office. Preference will be given to students who are underrepresented in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and who are Political Science majors. 

Deadline: 3/22/18

Notification: Notification on your award status will take place the week of 4/30/18.

Additional Awards and Award Sources

 

Lawrence and Anna Wikander Scholarship

This fund provides scholarship support to a student who has chosen to earn a General Educational Development (GED) credential rather than a traditional high school diploma. Preference is given to candidates whose majors are in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, however students from the College of Humanities and Fine Arts and the College of Natural Sciences are also eligible.

Award: one award of at least $1,000 is awarded annually in the spring. Funds are typically distributed in the fall.  |  Deadline: 4/13/2018 

Power Up for College Success Program Scholarship 

Provides a scholarship to incoming first-year students to take part in the Power Up for College Success Program. This one-credit course helps students get acclimated to campus, develop a network of friends and learn the skills that will help them succeed in college. Students also attend a College Success Workshop where they learn about the myriad of opportunities at UMass Amherst in order to help them begin to develop an educational plan. 

Average award: 5 – 10 awards to cover the full cost of this program (the number of awards is based on availability of funds)  |  Reopens: Summer 2018

Other Sources

Financial Aid Resources page 
Alumni Association Scholarships
Commonwealth Honors College  (NOTE: Not all of these awards are for honors students - read carefully)
Office of National Scholarship Advisement

 

Don't forget to check in with your major department to see what scholarship funds they have available.