Money for Four-Year Colleges
How can I get a scholarship to help me pay for college? Scholarships are obtained in a variety of ways. While some funding is available to students based on financial need, applying for scholarships and grants is a multi-step process. Finding scholarships involves doing research, achieving high grades, and being involved with your community. We have compiled these resources for you to begin your exploration.
Students can sign up to receive weekly Scholarship Newsletters, which provides a list of external scholarships compiled by Advising & LifeMap staff. When signing up, please use your Bunker Hill Community College email address.
Getting Started
Alpha Kappa Mu
To earn scholarships from four-year colleges, our first recommendation is to join Alpha Kappa Mu, the BHCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Membership qualifies students for transfer scholarships at colleges and universities throughout the country. See this list of participating colleges that offer scholarships to AKM members.
Colleges with Scholarships
When students apply to a four-year college, they are generally considered for scholarships upon acceptance. However, some schools require a separate application. Use this list to see opportunities available to transfer students at colleges in Massachusetts.
City and State Scholarships
Below are programs that provide financial support to students in Massachusetts. To learn about other opportunities, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education: Office of Student Financial Assistance.
| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| MassTransfer Tuition Credit | MassTransfer is a program for community colleges and State Universities and UMASS Campuses in Massachusetts. Benefits are based on GPA which ranges from the guaranteed transfer of credits to tuition-based scholarship. |
| Commonwealth Commitment | Commonwealth Commitment is a program in MassTransfer for students to enter before completing 15 credits at Bunker Hill. This program provides tuition scholarships, refunds on tuition and fees, and a freeze on tuition and fees. If you are interested in joining, View our Commonwealth Commitment page. |
| Tuition Free Community College | Available to students who graduate from a Boston Public High School within one year of entering Bunker Hill. This program covers the cost of remaining tuition or mandatory fees after the Pell Grant has been applied plus $250 for other college expenses. |
| Boston Bridge | Boston Bridge is a plan for students who are enrolled in the Tuition Free Community College plan and Commonwealth Commitment. Boston Bridge enables students to transfer to a four-year college and finish their bachelor's degree at no additional cost. |
| City of Boston Scholarship Fund | "Through the Fund, [the City of Boston awards] new college-goers and continuing education students $2,500 per year to help pay for school." |
Search Engines and Organizations
It is important for students to conduct their own scholarship research as there are thousands of scholarships offered by independent providers. To get started, see the following search engines and organizations to begin your research.
| Search Engines |
|---|
| JLV College Counseling |
| FastWeb |
| Affordable Colleges |
| Scholarships.com |
| college.ai |
| Big Future |
| Organizations |
|---|
| Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship |
| New England Transfer Association |
| Achieving the Dream |
Search Engines for International Students
Here you can find organizations that provide scholarships to international students for their continuing education and transferring to four-year colleges and universities.
| Search Engines | Description |
|---|---|
| College Board (collegeboard.org) | Free online financial aid source for scholarships, grants, and loans for all college-bound students, including permanent residents and international students wishing to study in the United States. |
| FastWeb (fastweb.com) | Free online scholarship search service. |
| International Education Financial Aid (iefa.org) | Free online scholarship search service designed for international students. |
| International Scholarships (internationalscholarships.com) | Free online scholarship database for international students wishing to study worldwide. |
| Mobility International USA (miusa.org) | Free online scholarship resources for non–U.S. citizens with disabilities. |
| United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (unesco.org/new/en/fellowships/programmes/how-to-apply/) | Free online searchable database for scholarships for international students. |
CSS Profile
CSS Profile
We also encourage you to create a CSS Profile if you plan to apply to four-year private institutions. For more information, see a step-by-step presentation of completing the Profile. Many colleges use the CSS Profile to determine how much non-Federal financial aid a student will be awarded. The Profile is used by over 200 colleges in the United States, including 30 in Massachusetts. This service is available to students who are in-state, out-of-state, international, undocumented or have DACA status.