Scholarships & Grants

First-year applicants are automatically awarded merit-based scholarships based on academic performance, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and more. They vary in amounts and are renewable for four years. Merit-based scholarships are incorporated into your need-based financial aid, should you qualify.

Recipients of the WPI Employee Tuition Benefit are not eligible to receive WPI academic merit-based scholarships.

These include all privately funded programs administered by WPI, the federal government, and the state government. Eligibility is determined by the CSS Profile, and in subsequent years, the FAFSA. Need-based programs administered through WPI include the WPI Grant and all restricted WPI administered scholarships. Federal need based grants include the Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). Eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant and SEOG can only be determined by a student filing a FAFSA for the academic year. Federal SEOG funds are awarded directly by colleges to students and are awarded to some Federal Pell Grant recipients. State need-based grants and scholarships include Massachusetts MASSGrant, Pennsylvania State Grant, and Vermont State Grant. State grants and scholarships are not included in financial aid packages until the WPI Office of Financial Aid is informed of the actual award amount by the respective state agencies, and grant eligibility is confirmed.

Beginning with the Class of 2024, every full-time, degree-seeking WPI undergraduate student—including transfer students—will be eligible for a one-time Global Scholarship of up to $5,000 to defray the cost of one credit-bearing, off-campus project experience through the Global Projects Program, be it the Humanities & Arts Requirement (HUA), Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP), or Major Qualifying Project (MQP). 

Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) offers scholarships to qualifying WPI students who pursue careers in the United States Air Force, Army, or Navy. For more information on the different types of ROTC programs offered at WPI, please visit:

• Air Force Aerospace Studies 
• Military Science / US Army ROTC 
• Naval Science ROTC (based at Holy Cross College)

Students who are awarded a ROTC scholarship by one of the participating branches prior to the May 1 deposit date will be eligible for Room and Board (meal) credits from WPI once the WPI Office of Financial Aid is informed of the student’s award. Your initial financial aid award will be adjusted to reflect the ROTC scholarship and any Room and Board credits. Room and Board credits are not available to students who enter the ROTC program after starting at WPI or to transfer students.

The SAGE Scholars Tuition Rewards program is a private college saving plan where you earn guaranteed minimum scholarships at over 345 participating private colleges and universities across America. This is available to undergraduate first-year students.

Tuition Reward Points accrue like frequent flyer miles and are typically earned by saving or investing with affiliated financial institutions or organizations. Each Tuition Reward Point is equal to $1.00 in tuition discounts. The points represent the minimum scholarship that you will receive.    

At WPI, SAGE Tuition Reward Dollars are incorporated into any need and/or merit-based scholarship funds and are subject to the same scholarship renewal criteria.   

You must submit your SAGE Tuition Reward Statement to WPI by the application deadline you are applying to.

WPI is pleased to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program of the Post 9/11 Veterans’ Educational Assistance Act of 2008. The Yellow Ribbon Program is a partnership between WPI and the Veterans’ Administration (VA) to assist eligible students with educational expenses greater than the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. Participating schools can waive up to 50% of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution.

WPI is will award up to 50 Yellow Ribbon awards per year (combination of undergraduate and graduate) with amounts that will bring a students combined award of WPI merit and need-based aid + VA Post-9/11 benefits + Yellow Ribbon up to full tuition funding.

How to Apply

1. Obtain your Yellow Ribbon Certificate of Eligibility from the VA at 1-888-GIBILL1 (1-888-442-4551) or online.
2. Send a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility to Patrick LaRiviere, WPI's School Certifying Official in the Registrar's Office (plariviere@wpi.edu). 
3. Complete the online Yellow Ribbon Application. 
4. Once applications are reviewed, you will be contacted in writing on your status. Applications are reviewed over the summer.

The Fine Print

• WPI will contribute up to $17,500 per student per year (fall and spring semesters only) which will be matched by the VA. The total Yellow Ribbon funding combined with all other WPI merit and need based funding and Post 9/11 VA benefits will not exceed tuition cost for the academic period.
• Only students entitled to the 100% benefit rate, based on service requirements, may receive this funding.
• Undergraduate students will be confirmed as a participant for the shorter of the two following periods; 16 terms (4 years) of enrollment or completion of a Bachelor degree, as long as WPI continues to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program and VA education benefits still apply.
• Graduate students will be confirmed as a participant for the shorter of the two following periods; 8 semesters (4 years) of enrollment or completion of a Master or Ph.D degree, as long as WPI continues to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program and VA education benefits still apply.
• Students awarded Yellow Ribbon must remain continuously enrolled with no leaves of absence, and must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by WPI.
• Students on active duty are not eligible to receive Yellow Ribbon benefits. 

Through the Tuition Exchange (TE) program, the child of an employee of one 600+ participating institutions may apply for a TE scholarship at WPI or eligible WPI employees dependents may apply for a TE scholarship at another participating school. Whether you are employed at WPI or another participating institution we recommend reviewing the Tuition Exchange website to view the list of participating schools, access the application and get answers to some common questions about this program. 

• Prospective students and current WPI students whose parents work at a Tuition Exchange institution interested in applying for a Tuition Exchange Scholarship at WPI are considered Imports. Please review this document TE Imports (PDF) to learn more about how TE scholarships application process works at WPI. This page of the Tuition Exchange site has our school specific information.
• Employees at WPI that have been employed full-time for three years and have a dependent that will be starting or continuing an undergraduate degree are eligible to submit a Tuition Exchange Application. Please confirm with Talent & Inclusion prior to applying if you are not sure you are an eligible employee.

We encourage WPI employees to complete the Tuition Exchange application online by October 31st each year for the upcoming academic year. 

To learn more, contact WPI's Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer, Gina Havel, at ghavel@wpi.edu.

WPI’s Tuition Benefits program provides tuition assistance for eligible family members of WPI employees, whether they are attending WPI or another institution. For more information, please contact Talent and Inclusion.
 

The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain graduate students. Amounts depend on your FAFSA information, cost of attendance, your enrollment status (full-time or part-time), and whether you attend for a full academic year or less. You may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time.

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant helps undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. Students may receive between $100 and $4,000 a year, depending on their eligibility, financial need, when they apply for their FAFSA, the amount of other aid they receive, and the availability of funds at WPI. Federal regulations require that priority is given to students with the lowest expected family contribution (EFC) and Federal Pell Grant recipients.

Each participating school receives a certain amount of FSEOG funds each year from the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid. Once the full amount of the school’s FSEOG funds has been awarded to students, no more FSEOG awards can be made for that year. This system works differently from the Federal Pell Grant Program, which provides funds to every eligible student. Fund amounts may be subject to change year to year and are not guaranteed.

The Massachusetts Gilbert Matching Student Grant Program (GMSGP), funded by Massachusetts, is offered to residents of the state. Students must be undergraduates and meet financial need and other eligibility requirements. Awards range from $200 to $2,500 per academic year.

Effective July 1, 2023, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has expanded access to all state financial aid programs, including tuition waiver programs, and allows all students (including some non-U.S. citizens) who have attended high school in the Commonwealth for at least three years, earned a diploma or the equivalent (a GED/HiSet) in the Commonwealth, and have met other eligibility requirements (listed below) to be eligible “on the same terms as other individuals for state-funded financial assistance.” M.G.L. c. 15A, section 9, as amended by Section 11 of Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2023 (hereinafter the “High School Completers” Tuition Equity Law).

 “High School Completer” status is a new, additional authorized eligibility status for Massachusetts state financial aid. In effect, the new law has expanded access for undocumented students to Massachusetts state financial aid programs. 

In order for a student to be eligible for consideration for one or more Massachusetts state financial aid programs with “High School Completer” status, the student must: 

1. have been admitted to a public institution of higher education within the Massachusetts system of public higher education as defined in M.G.L. c. 15A, Section 5, or an eligible, state-approved private, independent post-secondary institution (WPI, for example); and 
2. Not be a nonimmigrant alien within the meaning of 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(A) to (S), inclusive3; and 
3. Have attended at least three academic years at high school in Massachusetts; and 
4. Have graduated from high school in Massachusetts or have received the equivalent of a high school diploma (for example, a GED/HiSet) from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and 
5. Have applied for the military selective service if eligible; and 
6. Provide either a valid Social Security Number, or documentation reflecting the issuance of an individual taxpayer identification number, or documentation of registration with selective service, if applicable, or if the individual is not a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States, that person must provide a completed Affidavit stating that the individual will file an application to become a citizen or legal permanent resident within 120 days after the individual becomes eligible to do so. 

Please note that a determination of eligibility for consideration for one or more Massachusetts state financial aid programs with “High School Completer” status does not automatically result in a student’s access to Massachusetts state financial aid. This is because each Massachusetts State financial aid program has its own eligibility criteria. 

If you feel you meet the criteria for “High School Completer” status, please submit this form, along with the supporting documentation (for items 5 and 6 respectively) to the Office of Financial Aid, located in the first floor of the Bartlett Center. If you have any questions, please call 508-831-5469 or email finaid@wpi.edu.  

Several states, including Massachusetts, offer educational grant money to eligible college students. Review the state grant programs that have reciprocal agreements with Massachusetts. Application deadlines and other important information are also included.