Overview
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminar provides experiential education opportunities to students of the Massachusetts public college and university system. The program uses the resources of the nation's capital to provide high-quality learning experiences to enhance student's academic, civic and professional development. The purpose of the Washington Center is to promote future leadership for the public, private and non-profit sectors of society. Internship placements include positions in government offices, communication organizations, law firms, trade and professional associations, human right groups and a variety of companies and other organizations. Internships are coupled with required academic courses.
Additional Resources
Who Is Eligible?
To be eligible for a Washington Center Tuition Waiver, a student must:
- Be a permanent legal resident of Massachusetts.
- Be a U.S. Citizen or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations.
- Have applied for financial aid, using the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Be in compliance with Selective Service Registration.
- Not be in default of any federal or state Student Loans for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous financial aid received.
- Not have received a prior bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
- Be maintaining satisfactory academic progress in accordance with institutional and federal standards.
- Enroll in an eligible degree program as determined by the institution
- Have obtained a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average
- Meet other eligibility criteria as established by the institution and the Washington Center.
Eligible Institutions
The nine Massachusetts state universities:
- Bridgewater State University
- Fitchburg State University
- Framingham State University
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
- Massachusetts Maritime Academy
- Salem State University
- Westfield State University
- Worcester State University
The four undergraduate campuses of the University of Massachusetts:
Award Amounts
A waiver of tuition by the Board of Higher Education, a waiver of regular mandatory fees by the eligible institution and a housing scholarship of $2,000 provided by the Washington Center.
Note: Beginning with the fall 2016-2017 academic year, the University of Massachusetts will restructure tuition and fees on their campuses. The restructuring of student charges will have no impact on the value of tuition waivers, which will now be identified as tuition “credits.”
Visit the University of Massachusetts website for more information on Tuition Retention.
How to Apply
Contact the financial aid office at the institution you are attending or plan to attend for application requirements or deadlines. You can also contact the DHE’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at (617) 391-6070 to obtain more information.