If you attend high school in the state of Massachusetts and you plan to study an undergraduate program at an accredited university in Massachusetts in the coming academic session, you are in luck. The selection of students for the next academic session will begin after the MCA (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment) is completed.
The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship offers an early promise of financial assistance for high-performing students in the state. Should you be one and want to learn how you can improve your odds of winning the scholarship, you have come to the right place.
We have talked about everything you need to know about the scholarship: the tips that will help you win, the benefits you get from the scholarship, and we have also answered questions you may have about the scholarship.
JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS SCHOLARSHIP: ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is an award-giving program that provides a tuition credit for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university, based on students’ scores on MCAS tests. The scholarship covers tuition only; other expenses are expected to be paid by the receiver of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. For applicants who win the scholarship, the scholarship must be used within six years of high school graduation.
No application is required for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. If a student qualifies, he or she will be notified by letter during the fall of senior year of high school by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. Qualifying students must then complete the FAFSA and maintain a 3.0 GPA during college to keep the scholarship.
WHO RUNS JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS SCHOLARSHIP
The famed John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in the hope of helping students after high school graduation to proceed to higher institutions of study within Massachusetts.
The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is to ensure that every student is ready to succeed in post-secondary education, understand the rights and duties of citizens of America, and compete in the global economy.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does more than award scholarships to deserving students. They also audit, licence, distribute funds and oversee operations in the state.
ABOUT JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS
Abigail Adams was the wife and the closest advisor to John Adams. She was also the mother of John Quincy Adams.
Because of her contributions to the development of the United States, she is sometimes considered to be the founder of the United States. As of today, she is designated as the second first lady of the United States.
In the history of the United States, she and Barbara Bush are the only two women to have been married to one United States president and be the mother of another.
She is remembered for the many letters she wrote to her husband while he stayed in Philadelphia during the Continental Congresses. John Adams frequently sought the advice of Abigail on many matters, and their letters are filled with intellectual discussions on politics. Her letters also serve as eyewitness accounts of the American Revolutionary War home front.
WHAT COURSE CAN I STUDY WITH THE AWARD
You can study a course of your choice with the scholarship as there is no limitation on that. However, you can only use John and Abigail Adams Scholarship in Massachusetts.
ELIGIBLE NATIONALITY
John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is open to citizens of the United States. If you are not a citizen of the United States, you are also eligible for the scholarship if you are authorised by the federal government to live and work in the United States on a temporary or permanent basis.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, you have to meet the following requirements.
- Be a united states citizen or be a lawful resident of the country, temporarily or permanently.
- 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.
- You must not have received a prior bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
- You must complete FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
- 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 MUCH IS THE JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS SCHOLARSHIP?
Individual student awards at the University of Massachusetts are valued at $1,714 at Amherst, $1,714 at Boston, $1,417 at Dartmouth, and $1,454 at Lowell.
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP
There is no application for John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. Students who are among the top 25% during the MCA (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment) are automatically selected to receive the award.
Students that are eligible for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship will be notified in the fall of their senior year in high school.
Interested candidates may proceed here to learn more about the procedures and guidelines of the scholarship.
Since you will be required to file FAFSA to be considered for the scholarship, we have provided a walkthrough on how to apply for the scholarship.
- Create a Federal Student Aid ID: This is the first step if you want to apply for FAFSA. Through this link, you can proceed to the official website and generate your Federal Student Aid ID – username and password for your account. If you are a dependent student, you may want to create an FSA ID for one of your parents. This will allow them to electronically sign on your application. When you generate an FSA ID for them, you will be required to provide their Social Security number, a separate email address from the one you registered your account with.
- Add your list of schools: One of the pieces of information you will be required to fill in when applying for FAFSA is your list of schools. In this section, you can list as many as 10 colleges you would like to join. Should you plan to be considered for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, you will need to list all the schools you want to apply to on your application. This is required by the Federal Student Aid.
- Get your financial documents ready: To make your applicant as seamless as it can get, ensure you request the driver’s license of one of your parents beforehand. Other documents you will need to provide when filling out the financial information of yourself and your parent are the Federal income tax returns, nontaxable income records, and bank statements showing the most recent asset information. This includes checking, savings, business records, and investment farms. Please note that because financial status is dynamic, the income of the family can change after your submission of the application. Should this happen, you can always update the financial details on FAFSA.
- Fill out FAFSA: When filling out this section, ensure you select the correct FAFSA year. To do this correctly, you are to choose the next academic year (2022-2023) and NOT the current. This is because your application is for the following academic year.
- Go through your application before submitting it: Before filing your FAFSA for review, ensure you go over it one more time to be sure you did not make an avoidable mistake. While there is information that can be corrected on your FSA student account, not all can be updated. Making a mistake in one of these sections can prove costly in your securing the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship or any other that requires FAFSA.
To continue receiving the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship after you have been awarded the scholarship, you 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 and provide the completed FAFSA application to their higher education institution, along with the scholarship notification letter.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Application for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is due after the MCA (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment) has been concluded.
INSTITUTIONS WHERE JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS SCHOLARSHIP IS TENABLE
You can use the scholarship at any of the following accredited institutions to study a course of your choice. You will find the contact information for these institutions also.
- Bridgewater State University – 508-531-1237
- Fitchburg State University – 800-705-9692
- Framingham State University – 508-626-4500
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design – 617-879-7222
- Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts – 413-662-5410
- Massachusetts Maritime Academy – 800-544-3411
- Salem State University – 978-542-6200
- Westfield State University – 413-572-5218
- Worcester State University – 508-929-8040
- University of Massachusetts Amherst – 413-545-0222
- University of Massachusetts Boston – 617-287-6100
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth – 508-999-8605
- University of Massachusetts Lowell – 978-934-3931
You can find the community colleges where the scholarship is tenable at here.
READ ALSO:
Powerful Fact About Scholarship Endowment You Need To Know
Key Difference Between Grants, Scholarships, and Loans
TOP TIPS TO WIN THE JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS SCHOLARSHIP
- Try your best for the MCA. This is the first thing considered when selecting potential candidates for John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. Ensure that you perform exceptionally. Since the available slots can be filled only by the top 25 out of every 100, you might want to try as hardest as you could to be among these few candidates.
- Be active in your community. John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is run and administered by a department under the Government of Massachusetts and it is merit-based, community service goes close to involvement in the development of the state of Massachusetts. If you want to be strongly considered for this scholarship, ensure you are involved in pro bono community services.
- Ensure you make no mistake when filing FAFSA. When you fill in your detail on the FSA website, ensure you go over everything a few times before submitting it. You may refer to our walkthrough on how to file FAFSA for further reading on FAFSA.
BENEFITS OF WINNING THE JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS SCHOLARSHIP
- John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is an incentive to do more at the university. By winning the scholarship in your high school, you will feel you have a reputation to maintain in college. Inadvertently, you perform better than you would have if you did not win the scholarship.
- You do not have to worry about your tuition fee. Recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship receive an average of $1,500 per academic session which is tenable at accredited universities in Massachusetts. When you use the fund from this scholarship for your tuition, it goes a long way.
- You can afford more with the scholarship. John and Abigail Adams Scholarship make your finances robust. With the scholarship, you have spare cash for an extra cup of coffee every day, or extra cash to buy that gadget you have had in mind for a while.
- John and Abigail Adams Scholarship reduce your need to work. Because the scholarship covers literally all your tuition fees, you do not feel the compulsion to work part-time to see yourself through college. By extension, you perform better academically since you have more time to devote to academics.
SUMMARY
KEY TAKEAWAYS
How to Apply: There is no application for the scholarship. The top 25% of results in the MCA (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment) are selected to receive the award. By sitting for the exam, a candidate has shown interest in the scholarship.
Supporting Documents: No supporting document is required.
Basic Requirements: To be considered for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, you must have a strong academic performance, be involved in the community, have leadership skills, and be involved in extracurricular activities. You must also be a citizen of the United States or be a legal resident who attends high school in the state of Massachusetts.
Language Requirement: Sufficient understanding of the English Language.
IMPORTANT RESOURCES
Read about John and Abigail Adams Scholarship: Visit here, or here.
Email address of the board: mcas@doe.mass.edu
Phone contact: 781-338-3625
Twitter profile of John and Abigail Adams Scholarship: Visit here.
Facebook profile: Visit here.
Subscribe to receive newsletters: Visit here.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Administrator: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Departments: All departments.
Renewable: Yes.
Nationality: Domestic.
Host state: Massachusetts.
Language requirement: Applicants must have a sufficient understanding of the English Language.
FAQs
What is the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship?
The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is an award-giving program that provides a tuition credit for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university, based on students' scores on MCAS tests. The scholarship covers tuition only; other expenses are expected to be paid by the receiver of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. For applicants who win the scholarship, the scholarship must be used within six years of high school graduation. No application is required for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. If a student qualifies, he or she will be notified through a letter during the fall of senior year of high school by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. Qualifying students must then complete the FAFSA and maintain a 3.0 GPA during college to keep the scholarship.
Who runs the scholarship?
The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in the hope of helping students after high school graduation to proceed to higher institutions of study within Massachusetts.
How can I apply for the scholarship?
There is no application for the scholarship. Candidates who make the top 25% in the MCA (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment) in their district are automatically selected to receive the scholarship.
What course can I study with the scholarship?
The scholarship is not limited to a course of study. You get to choose what field you want with the scholarship.
Is the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship renewable?
Yes, the scholarship can be renewed. To be eligible for renewal, you will be required to keep ahead of a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. You will also need to reapply for FAFSA every year.
What are the requirements to be eligible for the scholarship?
You have to be a United States citizen to be eligible for this scholarship. You must also attend high school in Massachusetts and plan to attend college in the state. Other than these, you must not have received a prior bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
Can I apply for the scholarship as a high school senior?
Yes, you can apply for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship as a high school senior.
Must I understand the English Language to apply for the scholarship?
Yes, a sufficient understanding of the English Language is required to qualify for the scholarship. The exam you will write to enter the contest requires your knowledge of the English Language; hence, why you have to understand it.
Is the scholarship need- or merit-based?
The scholarship is merit-based. However, FAFSA is also considered when selecting recipients for the scholarship
Will there be an assessment test after I have submitted my application?
Will I have to write an essay?
No, you will not have to.
What are the documents I have to submit?
There are no documents to be submitted for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. Application for the scholarship is through excellence shown in MCA; hence, why no document is requested.
CONCLUSION
The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is a prestigious program that rewards deserving students with scholarships that cover close to their tuition fees. For a scholarship with the reputation of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, students should try even harder to win the scholarship because it goes a long way.
Winning the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship means you are among the top 25% in your district in Massachusetts in the MCA. We have provided tips to help you be among these few.
Best of luck with your application.