Grants and Scholarships

The Harold T. and Alice M. McCarthy Memorial scholarship is a full four-year scholarship that includes full tuition, fees, room and board, and books and is awarded to a talented first-year student majoring in art + design with demonstrated financial need.

How to Apply

• submit your application to the university as full-time art + design major
• complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and complete the scholarship application. (The deadline to apply for this scholarship is March 1.)
• Submit a portfolio through salemstate.slideroom.com.

For more information regarding the art portfolio, please contact the art department at 978.542.6222 or art@salemstate.edu.

Apply now

The Jack Welch Scholarship is a four-year scholarship that covers tuition, fees, and books. New recipients are selected annually. To qualify, you must be: a resident of Salem, Massachusetts, and admitted and enrolled as a full-time student in Salem State University's Bertolon School of Business. Recipients can commute or live on campus; however, this scholarship does not cover room and board.

How to Apply

• submit your application to the university as a full-time business major
• complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and complete the scholarship application. (The deadline to apply for this scholarship is March 1.)

Apply now

Tuition waiver for students 24 years of age or younger: full tuition for day college courses to all children in the custody of DSS adopted by an eligible Massachusetts state employee through DSS; also for all children in the custody of DSS and adopted through DSS by an eligible Massachusetts resident.

Full tuition for day college courses to a student who is a current or former foster child; who was placed in the custody of the state through a Care and Protection Petition; is 24 years old or under; was in the custody of the Commonwealth for at least 12 consecutive months and was not adopted or returned home.

Provides grants to eligible students as determined by DSS and the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance.

MassGrant provides need-based financial assistance to undergraduate students who reside in Massachusetts. Students must enroll full-time and meet the EFC requirements to be eligible to receive this grant. Students must have an EFC between $0.00 and $6,206.00. For MASSGrant Award Terms and Conditions, please visit mass.edu.

 The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) will notify students of their eligibility. Students must return any requested forms to OSFA promptly; failure to do so could jeopardize the receipt of their award. 

Salem State is not responsible for the estimated award for which payment is not received.

Students must meet the State of Massachusetts' May 1st FAFSA deadline to be considered for this grant.

Under the MASSGrant Plus program, full time students attending Massachusetts four-year public colleges and universities, and full-time may be eligible for additional funding to help with the cost of tuition, fees and books. Please review the program requirements to determine if you qualify:

• Be a permanent legal resident of Massachusetts for at least one full year prior to the opening of the academic year. 
• Be a U.S. Citizen or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations. 
• Have applied for financial aid, using the standard 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), by January 1, 2023, subject to availability of funds. 
• Be a student enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program at Salem State University. 
• Not be in default of any federal or state Student Loans for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous financial aid received. 
• Be enrolled full-time (minimum 12 credits a semester)  
• Not have received a prior bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. 
• Be maintaining satisfactory academic progress in accordance with institutional and federal standards. 
• Not have received a prior’s bachelor’s degree or its equivalent
• Demonstrate financial need for tuition and fees after accounting for expected family contribution (EFC) and all forms of scholarship and grant aid. 

The Mass Cash Grant grant is awarded based on eligibility as determined by the FAFSA and also on the university's level of available funding. This grant may be prorated or cancelled based on the number of credits a student is enrolled in.

This is a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for matriculated Massachusetts residents attending part-time (six – 11.5 credits). Eligibility will be determined by Salem State's financial aid office based on students' EFC and the availability of funds. The maximum award is $550.

Based upon entitlement, not need, this scholarship provides full tuition upon the loss of a parent and/or spouse who is killed or missing in the line of public service duty in Massachusetts. Call the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance at 617.727.9420 for more information.

The Salem Scholars grant is a scholarship for all first-year undergraduate students with a home address in the following communities at the time of application to Salem State University. The scholarship is renewable annually and is for $1,500/year.

• Beverly
• Chelsea
• Danvers
• Everett
• Lynn 
• Malden
• Medford
• Peabody
• Reading
• Revere
• Salem 
• Saugus
• Winthrop

Non-need based waiver of day college tuition awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Education recognizing high academic achievement.

The Viking Completion Grant program, generously established by Kim Gassett-Schiller ’83, ‘18H and Philip Schiller aims to annually award 50 to 75 microgrants of up to $6,500 each to the university seniors with high academic merit who are most at risk for dropping out. The program will combine this financial support with ongoing coaching to encourage awardees’ successful on-time completion. Learn more about the Viking Completion Grant.