Donor-Funded Scholarships and Awards for CICS Students

In 2022, more than $140,000 in scholarship aid was awarded to Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) students. Most of these scholarships are generously funded by alumni, members of the CICS community, and industry partners. 

We encourage all current students to apply—here's how!

CICS Scholarship Timeline

Starting in 2024, the application process for CICS donor-funded scholarships has moved from the spring to the fall. The new timeline is as follows:

  • September 1: Application process opens
  • October 31: Deadline to submit applications
  • Mid-late December: Recipients will be notified by their @umass.edu email address.

How to Apply

  1. Log in to AcademicWorks with your UMass Net ID and password.
  2. Complete both the General and CICS applications. You’ll be automatically matched with all the scholarships for which you qualify. Please note you will not see individual scholarships, you will only see the General and CICS applications.
  3. Click on a scholarship link and upload supplementary documents as required (resumes, letters from faculty, etc.).
  4. Submit your application and view your dashboard, which shows you the status of any pending and submitted applications.
  5. Selected recipients will be notified by email in mid-late December. For more information, please email scholarships [at] cics [dot] umass [dot] edu (scholarships[at]cics[dot]umass[dot]edu).

What Happens Next

  • Applications are reviewed by the scholarship committees, who select recipients based on criteria established by the donors.
  • Notification emails are sent through AcademicWorks to your @umass.edu email address by mid-late December.
  • If you are selected, you will be required to complete and submit a biography and thank-you letter to your donor in AcademicWorks. Scholarship disbursements will not be processed until these tasks are completed. Details and directions will be provided in your scholarship notification email—but see our template biography and thank-you letters for guidance below.
  • Scholarships will be applied to your spring semester university bill.

Frequently Asked Questions

By completing your general application and CICS application, you are automatically applied to all CICS scholarships for which you qualify. Determination of eligibility is based on information in your Spire account—major, financial need, GPA, etc. Please note that qualifying does NOT guarantee you will receive a scholarship. You will be notified via your @umass.edu email if you have been selected to receive a scholarship.

The dashboard on AcademicWorks will tell you if your applications are complete. Please note that you cannot submit or update any applications after the scholarship deadline.

Several scholarships require a current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be filed each year. If a scholarship requires “financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office,” then you must have a FAFSA application on file.

Currently enrolled international students can receive scholarships and complete the general application in the UMass Amherst Scholarship System. For CICS scholarships, please read the eligibility criteria. For more information about receiving financial aid as an international student, visit the UMass Amherst International Students webpage.

Your biography can be written in either the first or third person. It should primarily focus on your academic and work experience, but your scholarship donor is a real person who would also like to learn a little about you as a person. Build a well-rounded picture of yourself—both as an individual and a student.

Not sure how to get started on your biography? Here’s an example from Daniel Matthews, a graduate of CICS: 

"Daniel is a rising junior at UMass Amherst majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. A proficient computer programmer, software developer, and innovator, he is driven by his passion for the field of computation and aims to unlock opportunities to apply principles of strategic algorithm design and analysis, data science, and machine learning to create a more equitable world. Daniel’s primary interest lies at the dynamic intersection of social and computer sciences. He is fascinated by the study of social and behavioral relationships and their interactions with technology through scalable computational techniques and system design. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, hiking, working out, and traveling. Currently, he is working on project AppDanger with the Center for Data Science as a Data Science for Common Good fellow focused on rescuing children from Internet-based victimization and exploitation using state of the art NLP techniques and interactive data visualizations."

When writing your thank-you letter, remember that our donors really like to learn about the students who receive their scholarships. Help them understand why this scholarship is meaningful to you and how it will help you achieve your goals. Write 2–3 solid paragraphs and consider including information about yourself such as your major, family, career goals, extracurricular activities, community service, and hobbies. These details will help the donor understand the full positive impact of their generosity to this program. Finally, write in your own voice and be sincere.

Once again, here’s an example from CICS graduate Daniel Matthews:

"Dear Dr. Smith,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am Daniel Matthews, an undergraduate student double majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics with a concentration in Mathematical Computing. It is my pleasure to introduce myself as a proud recipient of the Dr. Howard R. Smith Summer Research Award in Information and Computer Science award. I extend my sincere gratitude to you for your support, dedication and commitment to the academic excellence, pursuits and success of the student body at Manning CICS. I strongly believe that your invaluable contributions and generosity will shape the futures of an emerging generation of computer scientists who will define the trajectory of social progress and development by successfully tackling some of the most pressing challenges of modern day through their exceptional computing abilities.

Education has changed dramatically in the past two years. As a global community, we have witnessed extended periods of uncertainty, widespread disruptions in our lives, social isolation that has triggered long lasting impacts on our mental health and professional lives, and unfortunately disease, loss and associated grief. Initiating my college career as an international student in Fall 2020 amidst the dire circumstances created by the pandemic was one of the most challenging decisions I have ever had to make. There was a growing sense of uncertainty about what the future holds, when would I physically be able to make it to the campus and what would the financial repercussions of this choice be. Cultural differences and lack of the in-person college experience hindered my ability to interact and socialize with fellow students. The nine hours and thirty minutes time zone difference aggravated the concerns surrounding my ability to meet academic expectations and goals in addition to integrating with the UMass Amherst community.

When I look back at this beautiful journey and reflect on what I have been able to make out of it, I feel proud not only about my accomplishments but also my decision to be a member of this community. In the most uncertain times, student associations at the Manning CICS such as the UMass ACM chapter, UMass GDSC, BUILD UMass, Fresh CICS and CICS COST helped me associate with the UMass community through virtual engagement platforms. The exceptional Teaching Assistants and Undergraduate Course Assistants helped me understand the nuances of how college courses are structured and offered invaluable help to me as I transitioned into college against the backdrop of the pandemic. Teaching faculty left no stone unturned in making learning more accessible to me by providing recordings, scheduling few office hours that were convenient for me to attend and scheduling exams for students like me in a separate time window.

Manning CICS’s immense support has helped me develop not only as a student but also as an individual. It has shaped my personality as a professional and redefined my trajectory for the future. At Manning CICS, I have associated with individuals who have prompted me to explore my unfathomed interests, skills and talents. Manning CICS’s vision of computing for the common good resonates with my personal goals and I have come to understand that my primary interest lies at the dynamic intersection of social and computer sciences. Manning CICS has given me the opportunity to explore domains such as Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence that incite my curiosity through my acceptance into the Center for Data Science’s Data Science for Common Good Fellowship for Summer 2022 and the opportunity to work with Dr. Neena Thota on a one-to-one on an honors independent study in Spring 2022.

I am grateful for this scholarship that motivates me to continue on this quest for academic excellence and a enhances my passion for the field of computation and opens doors for countless possibilities that lie ahead for leveraging my skills to create a more equitable world. I hope that I can provide some meaningful contribution to the Manning CICS community through my work and make myself, my family, and the Manning CICS community proud.

Sincerely,
Daniel Matthews"

If you have questions related to the CICS Undergraduate Scholarship Program, please email scholarships@cics.umass.edu. If you have questions related to the use of Academic Works, please send an email to acadworks@umass.edu.