Massachusetts Public Service Grant
Offered by Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance
About this scholarship
The Massachusetts Public Service Grant provides tuition support to students who lost a parent or spouse in qualifying public-service or military circumstances connected to Massachusetts. At a Massachusetts public college or university, the grant equals the institution’s full-time annual tuition. At an eligible independent Massachusetts college, it is capped at the full-time annual tuition charged by the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The grant does not guarantee fees, housing, meals, books, or living expenses, so it is classified as partial funding. Eligible family members include children or widowed spouses of Massachusetts police officers, firefighters, or corrections officers killed or fatally injured in the performance of duty, including authorized training. It also covers children of qualifying Massachusetts-credited prisoners of war, military or service members missing in action in Southeast Asia during the defined Vietnam-era period, veterans killed in action, and veterans whose deaths were service-connected. Applicants must have lived legally in Massachusetts for the prior year, hold eligible federal-status, file the FAFSA or Massachusetts equivalent, enroll full time in a certificate, associate, or bachelor’s program at an eligible Massachusetts institution, maintain satisfactory progress, and not already hold a bachelor’s degree. First-time 2026–27 applications and documentation are due May 1, 2027.
Eligibility
- Be a qualifying child or widowed spouse under one of the official public-service or military categories
- Be a permanent legal resident of Massachusetts for at least one year before the funded academic year
- Be a U.S. citizen or Title IV-eligible noncitizen
- File the FAFSA or approved Massachusetts equivalent
- Enroll full time in a certificate, associate, or bachelor’s program at an eligible Massachusetts institution
- Not already hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress and remain in good standing on federal and state student aid
- Submit the signed application and all required family, service, and identity documents by May 1, 2027