GEAR UP students receive Adams Scholarship

Worcester, MA - A total of 37 GEAR UP students at North High School have received the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship.

The Adams Scholarship is a program of the Massachusetts Department of Education that awards merit-based state-supported undergraduate tuition waivers to students who score in the top 25 percent in their school district on the grade 10 MCAS test (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System). The scholarship rewards and inspires student achievement, helps attract more high-performing students to Massachusetts public higher education, and provides families of college-bound students with financial assistance.

The scholarship program provides a tuition waiver for eight traditional semesters of undergraduate education at the University of Massachusetts, the seven state colleges, or one of 15 community colleges across the state. In order to use the tuition waivers, students must first apply to the colleges or universities and be accepted. Students who receive the Adams Scholarship must complete their college studies in four years or less and maintain a 3.0 grade point average.

"This is one of the 'lightbulb moments' for the students," said Taryn Tomkins, director of Worcester GEAR UP. "We start planting the seed in seventh grade that anyone can go to college if they work hard enough. These students have applied themselves and worked hard throughout their high school careers. Now they have a tremendous payoff for that hard work in the form of free tuition at any state school."

(Pictured above right (left to right): Annie Le, Taryn Tomkins, director of Worcester GEAR UP, Amanda Dickinson, Kirsty St. Pierre, Angela Quitadamo, education advisor, North High School, Erin Baffuto, education advisor, North High School)

About GEAR UP:

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) at Worcester East Middle School and North High School is a federally funded project of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc. and the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. The program fosters school-wide changes that promote and increase college awareness and readiness. Services include early college/career awareness group activities, individual postsecondary advising, and parent outreach activities.