Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts Scholarship Program
Offered by Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts
About this scholarship
The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts administers more than 160 scholarship funds and reports making over 1,000 awards totaling about $1.4 million each year. Its annual universal application opens January 1 and closes March 1; the Foundation’s current calendar confirms that the next scholarship cycle begins in January 2027. Students submit one application, and the Foundation matches it against every fund for which the applicant qualifies rather than asking the student to choose individual scholarships. Applicants may be undergraduate or graduate students, may attend full time or part time, and must plan to enroll for the upcoming fall semester at an accredited postsecondary institution in the United States. Most funds are for residents of Franklin, Hampden, or Hampshire County, though selected opportunities extend to Berkshire County and Hartford County, Connecticut. Individual funds may add a particular town, high school, college, major, background, or financial-need requirement. A student can receive up to $3,000 in combined Foundation scholarships for the year. Awards are not automatically renewable, but students may apply again in later years. Applicants should use a personal email, complete the direct portal application early, and submit all requested documentation by March 1.
Eligibility
- Plan to enroll for the upcoming fall semester in an accredited postsecondary institution in the United States
- Enroll as an undergraduate or graduate student on a full-time or part-time basis
- For most funds, live in Franklin, Hampden, or Hampshire County; selected funds also cover Berkshire County or Hartford County, Connecticut
- Meet any additional town, high-school, institution, major, background, or financial-need criteria of a matched scholarship fund
- Complete the universal application and all requested supporting materials in the official portal
- Submit the application during the January 1 through March 1, 2027 annual window