News & Resources

On May 5, 2025, the Trump Administration ended a pause on involuntary collections of federal student loans that are in default. This pause was put into place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents with loans in default could have federal income tax refunds taken, a portion of their wages garnished, or their Social Security benefits reduced.

The Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General (AGO) has resources and information available to guide borrowers on managing their loans. Crucial information from this page is highlighted and linked below.

Massachusetts residents with student loans should check to ensure their loans are not in default or delinquent.

• Instructions for checking the status of your federal loans are provided in Step 1 outlined by the AGO.
• Default occurs if you have not made a required loan payment in 270 days.

What if I am at risk of defaulting on my student loans?
Borrowers at risk of default should act immediately by contacting your loan service provider. A new company may be servicing your loans, as many loans changed servicers during the pandemic. Your studentaid.gov account will identify your servicer’s name and contact information.

Your loan servicer’s role is to recover payment, and you must advocate for options that meet your own needs.

What if I have questions or concerns about my loan servicer’s conduct or tactics?
If you live in Massachusetts and have a complaint against a student loan servicer, you can file a Student Loan Help Request with the Attorney General’s Ombudsman’s Student Loan Assistance Unit.

What if I have already defaulted on my student loans? 
If you have already defaulted on your student loans, your two options are rehabilitation or consolidation. Learn more about these options here.

Beware of Scams
Look out for companies asking you to pay “enrollment,” “subscription,” or “maintenance” fees to enroll you in a federal repayment plan or forgiveness program. Borrowers do not have to pay to receive help with loan services, including consolidating federal student loans or applying for an income-driven repayment plan. Your student loan servicer can help you with this for free.

Never give your personal information (like your FSA ID and password, social security number, bank account information) or money to unidentified callers, or to a link provided via text or email. If you are suspicious of a company contacting you, contact your current servicer. More tips on spotting scammers can be found on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s fraud and scams page.

Resources
In addition to the resources listed on the AGO’s website, The Institute of Student Loan Advisors Corporation (TISLA) offers free student loan advice.

The ECE Scholarship Program was established by the Massachusetts Legislature to increase the credentials and qualifications of the early education and care workforce. The scholarship assists early educators and after school/out-of-school-time professionals in pursuing graduate and undergraduate degrees at participating Massachusetts colleges and universities. Scholarship applicants may receive financial assistance up to 11 credits per semester in the fall, spring and summer (subject to funding availability). Visit the ECE Scholarship Program page to learn more and apply!

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

The Paraprofessional Teacher Preparation Grant Program provides financial assistance to Massachusetts residents who are currently employed as paraprofessionals in Massachusetts public schools and wish to become certified as full-time teachers. This grant is designed to reduce their financial burden and help address the Commonwealth's current teacher shortage. Financial need is not a requirement for the Paraprofessional Teacher Preparation Grant. Visit the Paraprofessional Grant Program page to learn more and apply!

Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Carlos E. Santiago has approved a recommendation to extend the priority deadline for state financial aid (MASSGrant) from May 1 to July 1, 2021. This action follows a review of data analyzed by the Department of Higher Education’s Office of Student Financial Assistance which shows a 4.5% decrease in the number of Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAs) received as of May 14, 2021, compared to similar period in 2019-2020. Among students, the biggest decline in applications was seen in the community college population.

“Massachusetts now ranks 5th in the nation for FAFSA completion,” said Commissioner Santiago. “It's a sign of the great strides that have been made by college and high school staff working remotely—and valiantly—throughout this pandemic to help students complete the form. This deadline extension will, we hope, help even greater numbers of students access the aid they need to succeed in college.”

The FAFSA is available for download at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Students should contact their college financial aid office for further information, or DHE’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at osfa@osfa.mass.edu.

The Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship Program was created by the Massachusetts Legislature to support economic growth and development. The purpose is to encourage degree completion in high demand disciplines that will help address the workforce needs of the Commonwealth by providing scholarship assistance to support the educational costs of students pursuing such programs of study.

The 2020–2021 application for the Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship will be open to students at Massachusetts public institutions who are pursuing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) degree. Funds will be awarded retroactively for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semester. Visit the High Demand Scholarship Program page to learn more and apply!

Students enrolled in one of the state’s 15 community colleges this year are eligible for additional financial aid to fully cover the cost of their tuition and fees, thanks to a boost in financial aid funding proposed by the Baker-Polito Administration. Learn more about the MASSGrant Plus program—and special thanks to Quinsigamond Community College for producing this informative video!

Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Carlos E. Santiago has approved a recommendation to extend the priority deadline for state financial aid (MASSGrant) from May 1st to July 1st. This action follows a review of data analyzed by the Department of Higher Education’s Office of Student Financial Assistance which shows a 16% decrease in the number of Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAs) received as of April 28, 2020, compared to similar period in 2019-2020. Among students, the biggest decline in applications was seen in the community college population.

“Our students and families are experiencing unprecedented levels of economic security and need our support as they attempt to plan for the coming academic year,” said Santiago. “Our goal with this FAFSA extension is to expand the pool of students who are eligible for financial aid. Such assistance can make all the difference aa to whether students remain on track to earn college credentials that lead to good jobs.”

The FAFSA is available for download at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Students should contact their college financial aid office for further information, or DHE’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at osfa@osfa.mass.edu.

The financial aid filing season officially began at 1 a.m. ET on Sunday, October 1, 2017, with the launch of the 2018‒19 FAFSA® at fafsa.gov. Nearly 238,000 online applications were submitted the first day, representing an eight percent increase compared to one year ago. Most students and parents are eligible to use the IRS DRT to electronically transfer their 2016 tax return information. The tool returned Oct. 1 for the 2018‒19 FAFSA with extra security and privacy protections to safeguard sensitive taxpayer data.

Read the full announcement >

Every high school senior, college student, and adult student who will be attending college during the 2019-2020 academic year needs to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to apply for federal, state, and institutional financial aid. FAFSA Day Massachusetts provides free help statewide to students and families looking to complete the FAFSA.

The 18th annual FAFSA Day Massachusetts programs are being held on multiple dates at over 30 locations across Massachusetts, including one at our Office of Student Financial Assistance in Malden on Sunday, November 4. Families are encouraged to visit www.FAFSADay.org to view locations, dates, and times, to register, and to see a list of what to bring.

Many locations will have services available in various languages. FAFSA Day is staffed by volunteer financial aid and higher education experts available to provide families one-on-one assistance. FAFSA Day is a non-profit program sponsored by Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, MEFA, American Student Assistance, and the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance. Over 18,200 students have been served during FAFSA Day events.

The Department of Higher Education’s Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) will move from its current location in Revere to a new office location in Malden effective next week, Higher Education Commissioner Carlos E. Santiago announced today. The office will close for business effective noon on Thursday, May 18 and reopen for business on Monday, May 22. During the office move, no official business or public correspondence regarding state grants, scholarships or tuition waivers will be conducted.

The new offices opening next week will be located at 75 Pleasant Street in Malden, in the same building that houses the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as the Executive Office of Education’s IT and HR departments. It is a short walk from the Malden Center MBTA stop on the Orange Line, as well as the Commuter Rail station and multiple bus routes.

“Our new location is much more accessible to the public, and our proximity to the staff at DESE will give us fresh opportunities to collaborate with our K-12 partners to improve public access to financial aid information,” said Clantha McCurdy, Senior Deputy Commissioner for Access and Student Financial Assistance. “We look forward to hosting FAFSA completion events and other activities for students and families at our new offices.”

MEFA's team is online and out in the community year round to help provide education and guidance on the topics that matter most to you. Seminars are held at hundreds of high schools and community locations throughout Massachusetts and are free to the public. They also hosts frequent webinars that allow families to connect and learn from home. MEFA explains the nuts and bolts of how financial aid works and offer strategies for smoothly navigating the college financing process from beginning to end. Topics include: 

• Financial aid applications and eligibility
• The types of financial aid available
• How colleges determine how much aid to offer
• Understanding award letters

One of the biggest decisions for those entering college is how to finance their education — and for more than two-thirds of those getting bachelor’s degrees, the answer involves taking on debt. The New York Times Student Loan Calculator offers a guide to the borrowing picture at various institutions — and what it takes after graduation to repay the loans.

Students that transfer from a Massachusetts Community College to a State University or University of Massachusetts campus can get the following benefits* through MassTransfer:

• No application fee
• No application essay
• Automatic satisfaction of most or all general education requirements
• Guaranteed transfer of credits
• Guaranteed admission
• 33% tuition waiver

* MassTransfer benefits are awarded to students based on academic performance. Learn more here.

Photo courtesy Bunker Hill Community College.

To apply for financial aid, you must first fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA). In Massachusetts, the deadline to submit your FAFSA is May 1, 2016 at midnight central time. But don't wait until the last minute! Head to the Info & Tools for Students page for resources that will help you through the process, and get started with the online application at fafsa.ed.gov.

FAFSA Overview

Boston, MA -- February 4, 2015 -- Massachusetts community college students hoping to launch careers in business and entrepreneurship will have a unique opportunity to study abroad and earn their bachelor's degrees for free through a new scholarship program launched by Shorelight Education in partnership with Bath Spa University and the Commonwealth, the Department of Higher Education announced today.

Shorelight, a Massachusetts-based company that partners with leading nonprofit universities to increase access for international students, has established the Shorelight Global Scholarship Program to  give two Massachusetts students a full two-year scholarship worth an estimated $85,000 USD including tuition, housing and airfare. Students will attend the undergraduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Bath Spa University in Bath, England, and are expected to complete the coursework required to earn a bachelor's degree.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity for highly motivated students to earn a four-year degree while also having an opportunity to study abroad," said Higher Education Commissioner Richard Freeland. "I commend Shorelight Education and Bath Spa University for creating the scholarship program and for recognizing the talents and creative potential of our community college students."