Massachusetts Foster Child Grant — Office of Student Financial Assistance
The official 2026–27 rules allow up to US$6,000 a year as last-dollar grant aid for up to five consecutive years. Requirements include DCF custody through a Care and Protection Petition, a voluntary DCF agreement, being under 25 at the start of the academic year, at least 12 credits, FAFSA or MASFA, and satisfactory academic progress.
About Massachusetts Foster Child Grant — Office of Student Financial Assistance
The Massachusetts Foster Child Grant supports undergraduate study for young people who were in the custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The official 2026–27 guidelines, effective August 1, 2026, set a maximum of US$6,000 per academic year and permit awards for up to five consecutive years. It is neither a guaranteed amount nor a separate check: the college calculates it as last-dollar aid after other scholarships and grants.
The central requirement is that the student was placed in DCF custody through a Care and Protection Petition and signed a voluntary agreement with DCF setting conditions for aid. Applicants must be under 25 at the start of the academic year, enroll full time with at least 12 credits or equivalent in an eligible undergraduate program, and maintain the college’s satisfactory academic progress. A general letter saying someone experienced foster care does not replace these specific records.
The grant can follow a student to an accredited institution in Massachusetts or elsewhere in the continental United States, including a public, private, for-profit, or nonprofit school, if it offers an eligible undergraduate or certificate program and can receive federal Title IV aid. This allows students to choose a campus based on their field, but Massachusetts residency and immigration-eligibility rules still apply. The 2026–27 guidance says some students must document at least one year of physical state residency; OSFA must review the applicable category.
FAFSA is the usual route. MASFA is not a general replacement for anyone having trouble with FAFSA: applicants must be ineligible or unable to file it, outside specified visa or immigration-status categories, have attended three years of Massachusetts high school, and earned a Massachusetts diploma or equivalent. The 2026–27 online form remains open in MASSAid until June 30, 2027; its June 30, 2026 priority date has passed. Filing MASFA starts a review and does not guarantee aid; the college makes the final eligibility decision. For the Foster Child Grant, also work with DCF and the college financial-aid office because there is no single published deadline for every campus.
The grant may not be paid in certain cases of defaulted federal or state education loans or when the student owes a refund for previous state aid. Institutions verify each case before disbursement, and the amount may change if enrollment or the aid package changes. Keep the DCF agreement, award notice, and student-account charges; request a written calculation from the college and ask how dropping credits or changing programs would affect a later payment.
Who it serves and what it can cover: The official 2026–27 rules allow up to US$6,000 a year as last-dollar grant aid for up to five consecutive years. Requirements include DCF custody through a Care and Protection Petition, a voluntary DCF agreement, being under 25 at the start of the academic year, at least 12 credits, FAFSA or MASFA, and satisfactory academic progress.
How to apply or get help: Ask your Department of Children and Families social worker or the Office of Student Financial Assistance at 617-391-6070 for instructions. The participating college verifies custody, the voluntary agreement, enrollment, progress, and other aid. For case-specific questions, contact the program or financial-aid office named on its official page.
Massachusetts state grant for college students formerly in DCF custody