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Malden High seniors eligible for over $300,000 in Adams Scholarships for high performance in MCAS testing results

MHS hosts breakfast to honor nearly 100 recipients who are eligible for free tuition at Mass. colleges & universities

By Steve Freker

This was an honor worth waiting for and Malden High School’s administration was there to host the festivities for some of its top students. Nearly 100 members of the MHS Class of 2026 were the guests of honor at a celebratory breakfast held at the school Wednesday morning to honor the recently announced recipients of the 2025-26 John and Abigail Adams Scholarships. Earning eligibility of between $2,800 and $3,500 per full college year of scholarship assistance, Malden High students have become eligible for over $300,000 in potential college tuition assistance.

“We are very proud of our newest group of Adams Scholarship awardees,” said Malden High School 9th-year Principal Chris Mastrangelo. “Through their academic excellence, they have earned this generous scholarship which will assist them and their families when they are trying to pay college expenses should they attend a state school.”

The Adams Scholarship is provided by the Office of Student Financial Assistance / Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. It provides a free, full tuition scholarship award for up to eight semesters at any and all state colleges, universities or community colleges. To qualify for the Adams Scholarship students must excel in the 10th grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS):

—Score in the Advanced category on one of three high school state assessment tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics or STE (Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics or Technology/Engineering)

—Score in the Proficient or Advanced category on the remaining two high school state assessment tests

—Have a combined MCAS score on these assessments that ranks in the top 25% in their school district

According to the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA), “The purpose of the award is to:

“· Reward and inspire student achievement;

“· Help attract more high-performing students to Massachusetts public higher education; and

“· provide families of college-bound students with financial assistance.”

The OFSA website reports, “Recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship are eligible for an award of a merit-based credit toward tuition. Individual student awards at State Universities and Community Colleges shall be no more than the resident undergraduate tuition rate at the participating institutions. Individual student awards at the University of Massachusetts shall be valued at $1,714 [per semester] at Amherst, $1,714 at Boston, $1,417 at Dartmouth, and $1,454 at Lowell.”