Scholarships
WPI Global Scholar Scholarship
The university is committed to ensuring all students have access to its transformative Global Projects Program, an internationally recognized component of The WPI Plan that immerses student teams into local communities to make a tangible, long-term impact in the world.
Beginning with the Class of 2024, every full-time, degree-seeking WPI undergraduate student—including transfer students—will receive a one-time Global Scholarship of up to $5,000 to defray the cost of one credit-bearing, off-campus project experience through the Global Projects Program, be it the Humanities & Arts Requirement (HUA), Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP), or Major Qualifying Project (MQP).
- What’s the breakdown of the scholarship?
The scholarship will come in the form of a credit that will appear on their bill for the academic period in which they’ll be conducting project work, and will defray direct, billable costs (housing and program fees). It will also include up to $1,500 to be applied toward indirect costs (flights, food, and incidentals).
- Will all students receive the same amount of scholarship money?
Some project centers are more expensive than others; therefore, the total scholarship amount depends upon the direct costs of the program.
For example, students traveling to project centers with direct costs exceeding $3,500 will receive an amount for indirect costs that brings the full scholarship to $5,000. Students attending project centers with direct costs less than $3,500 will receive $1,500 for indirect costs, but their total award will be less than $5,000. Currently, there are some project centers with projected costs that amount to less than $5,000.
For students who opt to complete their off-campus project experience at one of WPI’s non-residential project centers in the Worcester and Boston area, there is a $1,000 scholarship to cover expenses. These project centers include the Worcester Community Project Center, Massachusetts Water Resource Outreach Center, Boston Project Center, and project centers associated with MITRE, Stantec, and MIT Lincoln Labs.
- When will I receive the program charge and scholarship disbursement?
The program fee will be posted to your WPI student account approximately 2 weeks prior to travel, along with the Global Scholarship, for eligible students.
- Who can I contact with additional questions?
Students and families with additional questions can contact the Office of Financial Aid by email or phone at 508-831-5469.

IIE U.S. Passport Funding Opportunity
WPI has joined with the Institute of International Education (IIE) to grant 25 eligible students funding to cover the U.S. passport application fee of $165!
Student eligibility criteria:
- U.S. citizen
- First year student at WPI, 18 years of age or older
- Pell grant eligible
*Students with a valid adult U.S. passport are not eligible to receive funding.
To submit your interest, please complete a short application by Thursday, May 11, 2023. Students will be evaluated on their eligibility and their responses to the questions in the application form.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
To qualify, you must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant, be a U.S. citizen and be studying abroad. The Office of Financial Aid will notify you if you are eligible to apply for this scholarship. To learn more visit: https://gilmanapplication.iie.org

Worcester Polytechnic Institute has been recognized for its success in making international study and internships more accessible and inclusive for American students of all backgrounds through the Gilman Program. Read more here: https://www.gilmanscholarship.org/topgilman/
Donor Funded Scholarships
Through the generosity of WPI donors, the Global Projects Program offers a limited number of scholarship opportunities for students with high unmet financial need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid. Students will be notified at placement if they have been awarded a scholarship. No additional application is necessary.
Private Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships and grants available to undergraduate and graduate students that are offered through a variety of sources. A thorough scholarship search will include looking into the following funding sources and applying to as many as possible.