Military & Service FamiliesLong shot

Massachusetts Public Service Grant

Offered by Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance · Free to apply

The Massachusetts Public Service Grant pays tuition for children of Massachusetts police officers, firefighters and corrections officers who were killed or died from injuries in the line of duty (widowed spouses also qualify), children of Massachusetts veterans killed in action or who died from their service, and children of Southeast Asia POW/MIA service members. It is not based on financial need. At a Massachusetts public college the award equals the full-time tuition charge; at an independent Massachusetts college it equals UMass Amherst tuition. Students must enroll full time in a certificate, associate or bachelor's program. First-time applicants mail the Public Service Grant application with documentation to OSFA; for 2026-27 it was due May 1, 2027.

Other deadlines near this one

How hard is the Massachusetts Public Service Grant to win?

Odds: no published selection data
Paperwork: ~2 hrs to file

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

Fewer rivalsOpen only to Massachusetts residents
Fewer rivalsRequires a military or national-service connection
Fewer rivalsRequires a specific life circumstance
More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Massachusetts Public Service Grant?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Must be a resident of Massachusetts
Must attend a college in Massachusetts (the award does not travel out of state)
Open to high school seniors and current college students
For students who lost a parent in military service
For parent first responder line of duty death

Confirm these before applying

Parent must have been a Massachusetts police officer, firefighter or corrections officer killed in the line of duty, a veteran killed in action or who died from service, or a Southeast Asia POW/MIA
Must enroll full time at an accredited Massachusetts college

Personalized matching

Does your student actually qualify?

Not sure your student clears every rule above? Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.

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What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is May 1, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around May 1 each year. Submit the first-time application with documents in the spring of senior year.

First-time application due to OSFA: May 1, 2027

Remind me before May 1 Apply on the official site

Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.

Common questions about the Massachusetts Public Service Grant

How much is the Massachusetts Public Service Grant worth?

The Massachusetts Public Service Grant awards full tuition (public) or UMass Amherst tuition (private) and is renewable in later years.

When is the Massachusetts Public Service Grant deadline?

The current deadline is May 1, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around May 1 each year. Submit the first-time application with documents in the spring of senior year.

Who is eligible for the Massachusetts Public Service Grant?

Key requirements: Must be a resident of Massachusetts; Must attend a college in Massachusetts (the award does not travel out of state); Open to high school seniors and current college students; For students who lost a parent in military service. 1 more criteria are listed on this page.

Does the Massachusetts Public Service Grant require an essay?

No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 2 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Massachusetts Public Service Grant?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. No published applicant or winner counts exist for this award, so Solyo shows no odds figure. What is known: open only to Massachusetts residents and requires a military or national-service connection. Plan on about 2 hrs of work.

Is the Massachusetts Public Service Grant free to apply?

Yes. The Massachusetts Public Service Grant is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

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Lists this award appears on

Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.