Designated and Affinity Scholarships
SEA has a variety of funds and works with a range of organizations and institutions to facilitate access to SEA programs. Students with these affiliations may apply for, or automatically receive, funds to assist in meeting tuition costs.
HBCU and Tribal Colleges Award
SEA awards an automatic scholarship of $15,000 to any student from a Historically Black College or University or a Tribal College participating in a SEA undergraduate program.
Bermudian National Scholarship
SEA will match the scholarship value for any student award from The National Transportation Board or the Bermuda Zoological Association. Please apply using our regular financial aid application and include details of your NTB or BZA scholarship.
Five-College Scholarship Award
One $5,000 merit-based scholarship for each fall and spring SEA program for students from the Five-College Consortium (Smith College, Mt. Holyoke College, Amherst College, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Hampshire College). Deadlines: April 15th for Fall programs, October 15th for Winter and Spring programs. A faculty nomination is required: Five-College Faculty Nomination form (pdf).
Henry L. and Grace Doherty Endowed Journalism Scholarship
One $2,500 scholarship per year for a journalism major participating in a SEA undergraduate program.
Killam Canadian National Scholarship
One scholarship of up to $5,000 per year for a Canadian resident participating in a SEA undergraduate program.
PEP Scholarship
Students who have completed the Woods Hole Partnership Education Program are eligible to receive a $15,000 scholarship towards their participation in a SEA undergraduate program.
SEA Coastal Communities Scholarship
The SEA Coastal Communities Scholarship offers need-based awards to students indigenous to the island communities where SEA programming takes place. This includes, but is not limited to, students from the Republic of Kiribati, Hawai’i, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Tahiti. To apply for this award, students should indicate their interest and describe their eligibility by emailing a statement of no more than one page to financialaid@sea.edu as part of the SEA financial aid application submission.
Affinity Awards:
- SEA Alumni Referral Awards: up to $1,000
- SEA Collaborative Program Awards: up to $3,000
- SEA Gap Program Alumni Awards: up to $5,000
- SEA High School Summer Program Alumni Awards: $500-$3,000
- SEA Family Awards: up to $3,000
- SEA Alumni Awards: up to $3,000
- Semester by the Sea Alumni Awards: up to $3,000
- Tall Ships America Participant Award: up to $1,500
- Thoreau Scholars Award: up to $3,000
- United World College (UWC) Scholar Award: up to $3,000
- US Sailing Scholarship: up to $3,000
- Woods Hole Children’s School of Science Assistants’ and Lifer’s Scholarship: $750-$3,000
The majority of SEA’s need-based aid and designated scholarships are supported by generous donations from individuals and foundations working to make SEA accessible to qualified students, including:
- Milton N. Allen Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Franklin B. and Kevin Sean Armour Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Ann W. Brewer Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Susan Decker Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Hall Family Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Rip Hudner Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Exy Johnson Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Edward S. MacArthur Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Jim Millinger Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Satterberg Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Edward P. Williams Endowed Scholarship Fund
How To Apply
To be considered for all available SEA funding, students must submit financial aid applications by these priority deadlines:
- Summer programs: March 15
- Fall programs: April 15
- Spring programs: October 15
To apply for financial aid from SEA, you must submit:
- SEA financial aid/scholarship application (pdf);
- Copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR);
- Your most recent award letter from your home school financial aid office
Federal regulations may require us to collect tax documents from you and/or your parents, but they are not initially required to apply for need-based aid.
If you have an unusual financial situation that is not reflected in these materials, please contact the admissions office to discuss.
