When one thinks of New England, several things immediately pop into the mind’s eye. Beautiful fall foliage, tall mountains, sprawling lakes, bustling cities by the sea, and, perhaps above all, the people. New Englanders are passionate, standing steadfast in their pride for their region, their neighbors, and their Celtics, Patriots, and Bruins. (Note: The writer of this article is possibly a bitter New York Yankees fan who refuses to mention a certain Boston-based baseball club).
Sports rivalries notwithstanding, there are plenty of reasons to live in the New England region, perhaps chief among them the fantastic institutions of higher learning abound in the six states. Whether it’s Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Yale in New Haven, Connecticut;
Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire, or countless others, education in New England is unmatched in the rest of the nation. The saturation of educational opportunities leads to an intense level of competition among New England students to try to gain an extra step on their peers. Here are a few options for New Englanders trying to gain that extra edge:
New England Regional Student Program
Amount: Varying
Deadline: Varying
The New England Board of Higher Education oversees the promotion and cultivation of institutions of higher learning in the region. The governors of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island banded together to ensure a solid foundation for students to build their futures upon.
Today, the tradition continues through the New England Regional Student Program, also known colloquially as Tuition Break. In order to be eligible for the program’s financial break, students must be a permanent New England resident enrolled in a college NOT in their home state. The program helps students expand their horizons to beyond their borders while helping them not sink under the hefty weight of out-of-state tuition fees.
Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund
Amount: Varying
Deadline: May 3
Salem, Massachusetts is a town fraught with history, some of it negative, some positive. Stephen Phillips, raised in the coastal village, made it his mission in life to help those less fortunate than him and leave a positive legacy behind, something he unquestionably accomplished. Alongside his wife Betty, Phillips, a noted philanthropist, established the Stephen Phillips Scholarship fund, which echoes his life’s work of helping underprivileged students afford a quality education.
New England students are eligible for the award provided they are putting the money towards an undergraduate degree and display commitment both inside the classroom and out of it. The financial stipends awarded by the Phillips Fund range from $3,000 to $18,000 and the scholarship is renewable for up to four years of (undergraduate) study. In order to renew the scholarship, students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 and, of course, stay out of trouble.
New England Society Scholarship
Amount: $25,000
Deadline: June 29, 2020
With a staggering top prize of twenty-five grand, the New England Society Scholarship is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most lucrative and prestigious of all awards for schools in the region. What do you have to do, you may ask, to receive such a large sum of money? Well, it’s quite simple: live in New York City. Although residents of New York may say they must splash themselves in holy water to set foot in the rival city of Boston, the truth remains that the city, as well as the surrounding states, contain schools many New Yorkers dream of attending.
For New York students aiming to attend Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Northeastern, et. al., this scholarship is a gift from above. To qualify, a scholarship committee must approve students after a nomination, which will then result in their funds moving directly to the college.
| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
5.50%-16.12%* Variable
3.99%-15.61%* Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CITIZENS |
 |
5.54% - 15.70% Variable
3.99% - 15.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT SALLIE MAE |
 |
4.63% - 17.99% Variable
3.49% - 17.99% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
 |
6.00% - 13.75% Variable
3.99% - 13.75% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
5.66% - 14.72% Variable
3.69% - 14.56% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ASCENT |
 |
3.70% - 8.75% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ISL |
 |
5.62% - 16.85% Variable
3.69% - 16.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
 |
5.00% - 14.22% Variable
3.69% - 14.22% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ELFI |
