Collaborative Teachers Tuition Waiver

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

The Collaborative Teachers Tuition Waiver encourages public school teachers in the Commonwealth to become mentors to full-time student teachers from public colleges and universities. The program is designed to support the professional development of Massachusetts public school teachers. Under the agreement, the mentoring teacher receives a waiver for up to one graduate-level course for each student teacher he/she mentors. The waiver can be used for courses in education or related to the teacher's major field offered by state universities and the University of Massachusetts.

Who Is Eligible?

To be eligible for a Collaborative Teachers Tuition Waiver, a student must:

• 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.
• Have applied for financial aid, using the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a FAFSA equivalent application authorized by the Department of Higher Education.
• Not be in default of any federal or state Student Loans for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous financial aid received.
• Agree to mentor a student teacher from a state college or university in their classroom.
• Be a public school teacher in the year he/she is using the award.
  

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

The nine Massachusetts state universities:

• Bridgewater State University
• Fitchburg State University
• Framingham State University
• Massachusetts College of Art and Design
• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
• Massachusetts Maritime Academy
• Salem State University
• Westfield State University
• Worcester State University

The four undergraduate campuses of the University of Massachusetts:

• UMass Amherst
• UMass Boston
• UMass Dartmouth
• UMass Lowell

Award Amounts

Collaborative Teachers shall be eligible for a tuition waiver for up to one state-supported graduate-level course for each student teacher mentored with a maximum of one student teacher mentored per semester. Collaborative Teachers can request waivers for up to two years after the completion of the mentoring relationship for which eligibility is based.

Click here to view the full value of tuition waivers, by school, for a full-time student in the current academic year.

How to Apply

Contact the financial aid office at the institution you are attending or plan to attend for application requirements or deadlines. You can also call the DHE’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at (617) 391-6070 to obtain more information.

Tuition Waiver Guidelines