Pay it forward. Invest in UWW students.
For 55 years, the University Without Walls (UWW) Department of Interdisciplinary Studies has been helping adult students achieve the dream of a college degree, offering high-quality support and advising, individualized degree planning, an interdisciplinary approach to education, and credit for life and work experience.
As one of the oldest bachelor's degree completion programs in the nation, we have been pioneers in the field of adult education since our founding in 1971, and we are now ranked as the #1 online bachelor's degree in New England by U.S. News & World Report.
Your gift makes it possible for us to support non-traditional students in need with scholarships, helping them access higher education, achieve their goals, and serve their communities. An unrestricted gift lets us put your donation to use for the most urgent needs, or you can direct a gift to a specific scholarship below. Thank you for continuing the UWW tradition of paying it forward and helping the next generation of adult students break barriers.
Scholarships
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Established by Celso Avelar, a long-time friend of UWW, this scholarship honors the memory and spirit of his beloved niece Rute Avelar who passed away in 2003 at the age of fifteen. This scholarship is awarded at least once per year to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need, is in good academic standing, has an area of concentration in Human Services, Mental Health, Applied Psychology or another related field, and whose career goal is to work with people in crisis. Special consideration will be given to applicants who currently work in or whose career goal is to work in the field of suicide prevention.
Misty Catherine Bassi Memorial UWW Scholarship
Created in the spirit and memory of 2009 graduate Misty Bassi, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good academic standing. Misty Bassi, daughter of Sherri and Dominick Bassi, graduated from UWW, where she completed a degree with a concentration in literature and illustration. Deeply interested in creativity and the world of imagination, she was bright, curious, and thoughtful.
Started in 2025, this scholarship helps students who dropped out due to financial pressures and unanticipated circumstances return to UMass Amherst to complete their bachelor's degrees through UWW.
UWW Faculty Student Scholarship Fund
Established to honor the dedication and passion of the UWW faculty, past and present, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good academic standing.
Friends of UWW Scholarship
Started by the Friends of UWW alumni group, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good academic standing. Preference will be given to UWW students who are first-generation or from underrepresented groups.
Edward J. Harris Lifelong Learning Fund
Named in honor of a founding director of UWW, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good academic standing. Preference will be given to a parent of a dependent child.
Marian and Winlow M. Heard Leadership Award
Established by distinguished philanthropist and UWW alumna Dr. Marian Heard ’76, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student with financial need who demonstrates an interest in growing, learning, leading, and contributing to the community through their coursework, volunteer or paid work experience, and membership in university or community organizations. Preference will be given to students who are first-generation, who transferred to UMass Amherst from a community college, or who are involved in the Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success.
Beloved and renowned as the Mother of Civil Rights in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ruth B. Loving dedicated her life to social justice and community activism, and was a powerful force to be reckoned with until her death at age 100. In 1988, at the age of 73, she earned her bachelor's from UMass Amherst through UWW with a concentration in community education. The Ruth B. Loving Scholarship honors and carries forward the legacy of this accomplished and influential alumna by providing support for a socioeconomically disadvantaged UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good economic standing. Preference will be given to a student living in Hampden County, Massachusetts.
Jeffrey C. Taylor Educational Opportunity Fund
Established by and named after Jeffrey Taylor, UWW alumnus and founder of Monster.com, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good academic standing.
