Promoting access and opportunity to high-quality private higher education is core to the mission of Wheaton College. Toward that goal, the college has launched its Mass Affordability program, which will make tuition at Wheaton comparable in cost to the public University of Massachusetts system for low- and middle-income Massachusetts residents.

Eligible admitted students will be awarded a scholarship and grant package by Wheaton that is at least equal to the difference between the 2023-24 tuition at Wheaton College and the average of the 2023-24 tuition at the four traditional UMass campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell). This difference currently stands at nearly $46,000.

Program Requirements

To be eligible, admitted students must:

    • Be a Massachusetts resident planning to graduate (or has already graduated) from a high school in Massachusetts
    • Be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident
    • Submit a complete financial aid application by the published deadline
    • Have a combined parent income of $125,000 or less for 2022
    • Plan to live on campus
    • Enrolling as a new student in Fall 2024

Bottom line: if you are a Massachusetts resident whose annual family income is below $125,000, who is admitted to Wheaton and who will live on campus all four years, you can expect a minimum of $46,000 per year in scholarship and grant aid awarded by Wheaton. Some students also will likely be eligible for additional grant aid, as well as student loans.

No special application for this program is necessary. Students who meet the above criteria will automatically be considered.

Apply to Wheaton College

For all students 

Wheaton supports affordability for all students with a generous scholarship and financial aid program. Most new students in Fall 2024 are expected to be awarded between $35,000 and $45,000 per year in merit scholarships. These awards are in addition to need-based aid, for those students who are eligible.

*The $46,000 grant and scholarship match may be composed of multiple awards, such as the Wheaton merit scholarship, federal and state grants, and other sources.