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.

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

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

Enroll in Academic Works

If you have technical questions, please email acadworks@umass.edu. If you have SBS scholarship questions, please email Susan McDonough or watch the video below.

Scholarships and Awards by Category

Internships

Early Decision Internship Scholarship

Funded by multiple donors, this award supports SBS students who will complete internships during the summer or fall ’21 semester. Candidates must be in good academic standing with at least 45 credits. Preference will be given to students with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. * Please note, the Early Decision round is for students with confirmed internship offers only. SBS in DC participants are welcome to apply. Early Decision Funding will close on March 1st.

*Students who are awaiting formal confirmation of internships can apply for funding in the General round of Internship Scholarship Funding which will open at the same time but have a deadline of April 1, 2021.

Award Amount: $200—$6,000
Deadline: March 1, 2021

SBS Internship Scholarship

Funded by multiple donors, this award supports SBS students who will complete internships during the summer or fall '21 semesters. Candidates must be in good academic standing with at least 45 credits. Preference will be given to students with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.

Award Amounts: $200—$6,000
Deadline: April 1, 2021

Study Abroad

This award supports SBS students who will study abroad during summer or fall 21 semesters. Candidates must be in good academic standing with at least 45 credits. Preference will be given to students with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 and those with financial need. Study abroad programs must be approved by the International Program Office.

Award Amounts: $200—$5,000
Deadline: April 1, 2021

Financial Aid

SBS Financial Aid Scholarship

The SBS Financial Aid Award is funded by multiple donors and supports SBS students who have demonstrated financial need as verified by the Financial Aid Office and who have good academic standing with a GPA of 2.0.

Award Amounts: $200—$2,000
Deadline: April 1, 2021

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 is 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. The award is renewable for one year if the student maintains the GPA and financial need requirements.

Award Amount: $1,500
Deadline: April 15, 2021

Crowley Family Scholarship for Veterans

Funded by SBS Alum Dennis Crowley and his wife Peggy, the Crowley Family Scholarship for Veterans provides scholarship support for rising sophomores, juniors or seniors enrolled in SBS. Eligible recipients will have demonstrated financial need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid and will have been honorably discharged from active duty with the US Army, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, US Navy, US Coast Guard, or from the National Guard if they have been activated and deployed to a combat area. Preference will be given to students who have served in a combat zone also for those who intend to pursue a career in criminal justice upon graduation.

Award Amount: $5,000
Deadline: April 15, 2021

Research

Awards are available funded by Alan and Carol LoBovidge and by Dr. Robert Feldman and Dr. Katherine Vorwerk to support an undergraduate student who is working as a research assistant with a UMass Amherst faculty member in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences during the summer '21 or fall '21 semesters. Preference is given to candidates who are conducting original research that has the potential to address current social problems.

Award Amounts: $2,000—$3,000
Deadline: April 1, 2021

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