Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts Scholarships

Obtaining a college education is expensive, and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts strives to provide some financial assistance to students living in Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties to help them achieve their goal of graduating from college. We have over 160 different scholarship funds, and each year we give away over 1,000 individual scholarship awards. This equates to approximately $1.4 million in scholarships.

Scholarships are provided for one academic year and are not automatically renewed each year. You can reapply to our program every year you are going to attend college, and the application you submit that year will be considered for all scholarships for which you are eligible.

Who Is Eligible to Apply for Our Scholarships

• Any student planning to enroll for the upcoming fall semester, in any year of college as an undergraduate or graduate student, and is attending any accredited post-secondary school in the United States.
• Most scholarships are for students living in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties, but some are also available to students living in Berkshire County and Hartford County in Connecticut.
• Students attending college on a full-time or part-time basis.

Our Scholarship Selection Process

Selection committees, comprised of community members from Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties, volunteer their time to read applications and select recipients who are then approved by the Community Foundation’s Distribution Committee and Trustees

Reviewers read your entire application and review your academic transcript. Selecting recipients is a very hard job! There are so many excellent applicants, and it’s the reviewers’ job to choose one or a few recipients for a specific scholarship fund. Except for a few awards, a student’s financial need is strongly taken into consideration. A student’s complete academic history is also considered, as are the essays. Reviewers really want to learn something about you that they haven’t learned from the rest of your application.

Awards are made subject to availability and to the policies of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. These policies are available for review upon request.

Additional Guidelines

• Students can receive up to $3,000 in scholarships from the Community Foundation.
• Scholarship awards could impact the financial aid offered by a college, and students are advised to check with their college financial aid offices about this.
• Scholarships may be used to offset tuition, fees, room and board, and other items included as part of the cost for attending the institution. Some part and/or all the award could be considered taxable income. It is advisable students check with the college or tax accountant regarding this matter.

Scholarship Descriptions

The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts administers over 160 scholarships. Some of the funds help students from a particular school or area; others provide financial assistance to those pursuing a specific field of study; still others assist students that are most in need. Students who apply to the Scholarship program may be eligible for many of these funds. Once a student completes the online application, the Community Foundation will determine all funds for which a student may be eligible.