Application Deadline: April 1, 2024

The Charles J. Hoff Foundation awards scholarships to full time undergraduate students enrolled in the day program of the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Francis College of Engineering, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, Kennedy College of Sciences, College of Education or Manning School of Business at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and to students seeking a bachelor’s degree in the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies.

The Hoff Scholarship awards are for $4,000 ($2,000 per semester which will be applied directly to the student’s financial account) and may be continued until graduation on a semester basis, conditional upon satisfactory performance and continued financial aid eligibility. The maximum length of the award is six semesters.

Eligibility (check to see if you qualify):

  • Are you an undergraduate student enrolled in the colleges of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Engineering, Health Sciences, Sciences or Manning School of Business?
  • Are you a U.S. citizen (or eligible non-citizen), and a permanent resident of Massachusetts?
  • Will you have completed at least 24 or more credits (sophomore, junior, or senior status) towards an undergraduate degree as of September 2024.
    • (Please note: Incoming freshman students cannot apply for a Hoff Scholarship).
  • During the upcoming award year (2024-2025), will you be taking a minimum of four courses or 12 credit hours each semester?
  • Do you have a minimum GPA of 3.000 from UMass Lowell courses, with no more than 30 transfer credits?
  • Can you show evidence of financial need?* (Have you attached a print-out of your SIS financial aid page?)

If you can answer “yes” to all of these questions, you may be eligible for a Hoff Scholarship. Fill out the application and mail it back to apply. Applications, including the mandatory essay, must be submitted through the River Hawk Scholarship Portal.

Finalists will be selected by a committee and may be invited to meet with representatives of the Hoff Family Foundation in May. Announcement of Hoff scholarship recipients will be made as soon as possible after that. The scholarship will take effect for the first semester of the next academic year.

*To be eligible for the Hoff Need-Based Scholarship program, your FAFSA must show that you meet the following criteria:

  1. Your expected family contribution must be less than $5,000, and
  2. Commuting students must show a financial need greater than $10,000, or
  3. On-campus students (including those living adjacent to campus) must show a financial need greater than $15,000.
  4. All applicants are required to file their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1 of each year.

Academic Requirements:

When the award takes effect, you must be an undergraduate student with at least sophomore status (with 24 credit hours completed of UMass Lowell courses) in one of the colleges listed above, and you must be enrolled with at least a 12 credit course load each semester. Freshmen may apply for an award effective for their upcoming sophomore year.

All applicants must have a GPA of 3.000 in UMass Lowell courses. Hoff Scholars selected must maintain a 3.000 Cumulative G.P.A. in order to retain their scholarship. Hoff Scholarships are available for a maximum of six semesters. During this time, students must demonstrate a systematic forward progression toward the achievement of their bachelor’s degree.

Students who receive the full-time day scholarship and who also wish to take courses through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies must do so at their own expense. The Hoff Scholarship cannot be transferred to any other institution.

To remain eligible for renewal, recipients must file a FAFSA each academic year by the March 1 deadline and continue to demonstrate financial need each year.

In order for the scholarship to be credited to your account, a thank you letter or card written to the Hoff Foundation must be received within two weeks after you receive the award letter. Please don’t delay. Recipients will be required to attend a scholarship luncheon held in the fall.