Superintendent-Director, David J Ferreira, announced the five seniors at Old Colony are among the first students statewide to receive the state’s new John & Abigail Adams Scholarship.

The scholarship is available to students whose MCAS performance puts them at the top 25 percent in their district. To be eligible, students must either score Advanced on one exam and Proficient on the other, or Advanced on both the English and Math exams.

Recipients are granted four years of free tuition at the University of Massachusetts or at any of the nine state or 15 community colleges in Massachusetts.

Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll stated: “The students receiving this scholarship earned it though their hard work, dedication, and commitment to their education,” he said. “I’m proud of each and every one of them, and pleased to be able to reward their efforts with this opportunity to continue their educations beyond high school.”

Students who received the Adams Scholarship must complete their college program in four years or less and maintain a 3.0 grade point average. Personal letters from Governor Mitt Romney were mailed to each student recipient.

The Old Colony seniors were:

Matthew Ferreira (Acushnet)
Joseph Martinez (Freetown)
Michelle Yates (Carver)
Michael Gadbois (Freetown)
Jennifer Howes (Lakeville)