Financial Aid

University of Massachusetts-Amherst Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

University of Massachusetts-Amherst gave merit aid averaging $7,757 to 1,972 first-year students who had no financial need, about 66% of the freshmen without need.

Merit aid

Scholarships University of Massachusetts-Amherst gave to first-year students who had no financial need.

Average merit award

$7,757

Freshmen who got one

1,972

of 5,375 in the class

Share of those without need

66%

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

For first-year students the college found to have financial need.

Average need-based grant

$18,559

Average percent of need met

86.4%

Freshmen with need

44%

2,372 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $24,457.

How to read these numbers

  • Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
  • The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
  • A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.

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Frequently asked questions

Does University of Massachusetts-Amherst give merit scholarships?

University of Massachusetts-Amherst gave merit aid averaging $7,757 to 1,972 first-year students who had no financial need, about 66% of the freshmen without need.

How much is the average merit scholarship at University of Massachusetts-Amherst?

$7,757 for first-year students without financial need, according to University of Massachusetts-Amherst's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.

Does University of Massachusetts-Amherst meet full financial need?

University of Massachusetts-Amherst reports meeting 86.4% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid. A figure under 100% means the average student was left with a gap to cover.

What share of University of Massachusetts-Amherst freshmen have financial need?

2,372 of 5,375 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 44%, were found to have financial need.

Source: University of Massachusetts-Amherst’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.