Frequently Asked Questions about the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship
Q. What is the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship?
A. A student who qualifies for an Adams Scholarship is eligible to receive a tuition waiver to a Massachusetts public state college and university.* The tuition waiver is in effect for 8 consecutive traditional semesters or 4 years. The waiver does not cover fees, books, or other expenses.
Q. What are the eligibility requirements for the Adams Scholarship?
A. In order to be eligible for an Adams Scholarship, a student must earn a performance level score of Advanced on one grade 10 MCAS test (English Language Arts or Mathematics) and Proficient or higher on the other test, and have a combined score that places him or her in the top 25% of students in his or her district on these tests.
Q. May grade 11 students retake grade 10 MCAS tests in an attempt to qualify for the Adams Scholarship?
A. No. Eligibility for an Adams Scholarship is based on the performance of first-time participants on the grade 10 tests.
The only exception is for grade 11 students who are new to Massachusetts public schools in grade 11 or who had medically excused absences for the grade 10 MCAS tests. These grade 11 students may participate in the grade 10 tests in an attempt to qualify for the Adams Scholarship, even if they have already taken the November or March retest.
Q. May a student who transfers into a Massachusetts public school in grade 12 for the first time take the grade 10 MCAS tests in an attempt to qualify for the Adams Scholarship?
A. No. Because of the testing, reporting, and notification schedules, students enrolled in grade 12 may not take the grade 10 tests in an attempt to qualify.
Q. When are students notified that they have qualified for an Adams Scholarship?
A. Under the current policy, students are notified in December of their senior year. Eligibility for the Adams Scholarship is based on MCAS scores and Massachusetts public school enrollment in grade 12. Enrollment data from the October Student Information Management System (SIMS) submission are used to confirm public school enrollment in grade 12.
Q. May private school students participate in MCAS in an attempt to qualify for the Adams Scholarship?
A. No. Private school students are not eligible to participate in MCAS unless their tuition is publicly funded.
Q. How is the top 25% determined?
A. Staff at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education calculate scores for the top 25% of seniors in a district. Students are ranked based on the sum of their scores on the grade 10 tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
Q. Why do some students qualify for the scholarship even though they earned a score below the top 25% of students in their district?
A. Students who participate in school choice or Metco are eligible for the scholarship if they meet the eligibility requirements for the district in which they live.
Students in charters schools are eligible for the Adams Scholarship if they meet the minimum performance criteria and have a combined score in the top 25% of their charter school district or for the district in which they live.
Q. May a student who qualifies for the Adams Scholarship take a year off between high school and college and still receive the tuition waiver?
A. No. To receive a tuition waiver through the Adams Scholarship, a student must enter a Massachusetts public college or university in the first fall semester after graduating from high school. The student will continue to receive the tuition waiver as long as he or she maintains a GPA of 3.0 or better and continues to enroll full-time at a Massachusetts public higher education institution. In addition, the student must complete his or her studies within eight consecutive semesters.
Additional information on the Adams Scholarship is available on the Department's Web site at www.doe.mass.edu/FamComm/Student/adams_koplik.html and on the Board of Higher Education's Web site at www.osfa.mass.edu.
last updated: March 7, 2006
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