John and Abigail Adams Scholarship

*The following is a brief description for students. Institutions should refer to the most recent guidelines for information.

The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is a merit-based program that provides a credit toward tuition for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university. For this scholarship, merit is based on student scores on the 10th grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test.

The purpose of the award is to:

• Reward and inspire student achievement;
• Help attract more high-performing students to Massachusetts public higher education; and
• Provide families of college-bound students with financial assistance.

Who Is Eligible?

To be eligible for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, a student in the class of 2015 or earlier must

• Score in the Advanced category on either the Mathematics or the English Language Arts section of the grade 10 MCAS test and score in the Proficient or Advanced category on the second subject (Mathematics or English Language Arts).
• Have a combined MCAS score on these assessments that ranks in the top 25% in their school district.

Students in the class of 2016 or after 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.

In addition, all students must meet the following requirements:

• Physically reside in Massachusetts for at least one year, as of the start of the enrolled term, with an intent to remain in Massachusetts consistent with Board of Higher Education policy; and
• Have approved eligibility status as a “High School Completer,” ¹ per the Massachusetts tuition equity law, ² or be a U.S. Citizen, permanent legal resident, or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations.
• United States Citizen or a non-citizen authorized by the federal government to live and work in the United States on a temporary or permanent basis.
• 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 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.

¹ See www.mass.edu/tuitionequity for more details.

² Pursuant to Section 9 of Chapter 15A, as amended by Section 11 of Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2023.

Eligible Institutions

An institution within the system of public institutions of higher education as identified in Section 5 of Chapter 15A of the Massachusetts General Laws.

Award Amounts

Recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship are eligible for an award of a merit-based credit toward tuition. Individual student awards at State Universities and Community Colleges shall be no more than the resident undergraduate tuition rate at the participating institutions. Individual student awards at the University of Massachusetts shall be valued at $1,714 at Amherst, $1,714 at Boston, $1,417 at Dartmouth, and $1,454 at Lowell.

Click here to see the current and recent value of the Adams Scholarship.

This tuition credit cannot be combined with any other tuition credits.

How to Apply

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

John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Guidelines