The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship provides a tuition credit for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university. The scholarship covers tuition only; fees and room and board are not included. The scholarship must be used within six years of a student's high school graduation.

In order to be eligible for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, Massachusetts public high school students must meet the eligibility criteria below.

Because of the transition to the next-generation MCAS tests, there are currently different qualifications depending on the student's original class, as shown in the table below. Requirements for the classes of 2021 and 2022 reflect an interim standard for ELA and Mathematics defining a level of achievement on the new tests that are similar to the standard on the legacy tests. Information on future classes will be provided at a later time.

Winners of the John and Abigail Adams scholarship program are eligible for an award of a merit-based credit toward tuition.

Each individual winner of the John and Abigail Adams scholarship gets an award at the University of Massachusetts which shall be valued at $1,714 at Amherst, $1,714 at Boston, $1,417 at Dartmouth, and $1,454 at Lowell.

Please Note: The John and Abigail Adams scholarship program covers tuition only; other fees like boarding and books are not included.

Eligible Nationality:

If a student must apply for the Abigail Adams scholarship award, he or she must be a United States Citizen or a non-citizen who has been authorized by the federal government to live and work in the United States on a temporary or permanent basis.

Student’s Eligibility:

The student who wishes to apply for John and Abigail Adams scholarship program  must meet the following requirements:

The student must:

• Score in the Advanced category on one of three high school state assessment tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, or STE (Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics or Technology/Engineering)
• Score in the Proficient or Advanced category on the remaining two high school state assessment tests
• Have a combined MCAS score on these assessments that ranks in the top 25% in their school district.

Furthermore, all students must also meet the following requirements:

The student must:

• Be enrolled full time (at least 12 credits or its equivalent) in a certificate, associate’s or bachelor’s degree program at an eligible institution.
• Not have received a prior bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Must be in compliance with applicable law regarding Selective Service Registration.
• Must not be in default with applicable law regarding any federal or state student education loans for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous financial aid received.

How to Apply:

There is actually no application process for the Abigail Adams Scholarship program. Students that are eligible for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship funding will be notified in the fall of their senior year in high school via award letters.

This letter is very important because students must provide a copy of it along with their completed FAFSA application each year. Without this letter, the college/university will not apply for the tuition credit.

To continue receiving the scholarship offer, a student must:

• be enrolled full-time at a public higher education institution;
• maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on all college work; and
• annually complete the FAFSA.