Student Scholarships, Awards & Special Programs

Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery Award

The Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery is a a non-need-based tuition credit program that

  • Recognizes high academic achievement on MCAS and other measures of academic achievement;
  • Recognizes high academic achievement as identified by outside forums including competitions, student publications, and awards;
  • Provides an incentive for students to perform to the best of their abilities on MCAS and on the course of studies beyond grade 10; and
  • Recognizes high academic achievement in areas not included in MCAS.

This tuition credit may be used for four consecutive years at Massachusetts public colleges and universities.

Comparison of Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery Award and the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship

2025 update for Koplik Coordinators/Guidance Counselors:

The application for the Koplik Certificate of Mastery is now a completely electronic process with an online application system.

The eligible student list will only be available in the new application, which requires a mandatory training session to navigate. As scheduled trainings have concluded, please contact Alexia Cribbs for information on how to set up a training for your school.

Things to Note:

This training is mandatory. The old system is no longer available and paper/emailed applications will not be accepted.

2025 Update for Students:

Students that have submitted an interest form by the April 15th deadline must log in and start their application by May 1st. Failure to start the application by May 1 will close your account and you will forfeit the tuition credit.

Note: If you are waiting on late spring exam scores or grades (meaning scores/grades will not be available by May 1) you must still start this application (add/save address information) before the May 1st deadline. You have the option of uploading one achievement and returning at a later time however all academic achievements must be uploaded and application submitted no later than July 15th.

General Information and Documents:

Students meeting the initial eligibility requirements must register for an online account to complete the application. You may register by completing and returning the Koplik Interest Form to your high school's Koplik Coordinator no later than April 15.

Parents/guardians of eligible students will receive a notification letter from their school's Koplik Coordinator* in the late winter (Jan/Feb). The letter includes a Koplik Interest Form and a "Next Steps" Document , these documents explain the remaining requirements should the student wish to pursue the Certificate.

* Every public high school, regional high school, regional vocational technical high school and public charter high school is asked to assign a person to serve as the Koplik coordinator. The Koplik coordinator is responsible for:

  • notifying students who initially qualify for the Koplik Certificate as soon as eligibility is determined;
  • advising students on how they may fulfill the requirements;
  • reviewing online applications; and,
  • verifying the information of students who successfully complete the requirements to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education via the Koplik Application in the security portal (this information may not be submitted via email)

All applications and supporting documentation must be submitted directly through the online system; documents sent to DESE will not be processed.

For any questions you may have regarding the Koplik Certificate of Mastery, please contact Alexia.J.Cribbs@mass.gov .

Award Amounts:

Recipients of the Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery are eligible for an award of a non-need-based tuition credit for state-supported undergraduate courses. Individual student awards shall be no more than the resident undergraduate tuition rate at the participating institution. For updated information on current tuition rates at Massachusetts Public Colleges and Universities, please visit Massachusetts Department of Higher Education's Koplik Certificate of Mastery Tuition Credit — Current and Recent Value .

Massachusetts State Colleges and Universities that Accept the Koplik Certificate of Mastery

Community Colleges

State Colleges and Universities

University of Massachusetts

Last Updated: May 5, 2025

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