Fee waivers, sliding scales and scholarships published by the
organizations that run these programs — each with who is eligible and the page
that decides it. Nothing here is estimated from a family's income, and a program with
no aid published simply does not appear. A few are awards toward college rather than
help with a program fee; those are labelled College scholarship.
11 schemes serve Dover families.
Fee waiver
Dover-Sherborn Public Schools (Dover-Sherborn High School)
Dover-Sherborn High School Athletic User Fee Waiver
Full or partial waiver of the Dover-Sherborn High School athletic user fee, which is $335 per person per sport with a $1,675 per-family annual cap (2025-26).
- Who is eligible
- Dover-Sherborn families experiencing financial hardship; the family must reach out to the principal and the athletic director before the season begins, and the principal reviews and approves or declines the request.
Financial aid
Dover-Sherborn Public Schools / Massachusetts DESE
Massachusetts Universal Free School Meals (Dover-Sherborn Public Schools)
Breakfast and lunch served at no cost to every Dover-Sherborn student, with no application and no income test.
- Who is eligible
- All students in Massachusetts public schools; the Commonwealth has funded school breakfast and lunch free for all students, regardless of family income, since the 2022-23 school year.
Financial aid
Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
Massachusetts Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA)
State financial assistance that helps families pay for child care and out-of-school-time programs through vouchers and subsidies; families may pay a sliding-scale copayment.
- Who is eligible
- Massachusetts families; CCFA eligibility is based on who is in the family, the family's income, and certain expenses (family access administrators can confirm eligibility).
Financial aid
Commonwealth Corporation (Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development)
YouthWorks
State-funded paid work program placing young people ages 14-25 in short-term summer (6-8 week) and school-year (September-May) jobs at public, private and nonprofit worksites, with paid work-readiness training.
- Who is eligible
- Young people ages 14-25 whose household income does not exceed 200% of the federal poverty guidelines and who also meet at least one listed factor (e.g. person of color, LGBTQ+, disability, in or aged out of foster care, housing insecure, single-income household, limited English fluency); Dover is served by the MassHire Metro South/West Workforce Board.
Financial aid
Dover Neighbors Fund, Inc.
Dover Neighbors Fund
Local volunteer 501(c)(3) that provides short-term financial or other assistance to Dover residents in need.
- Who is eligible
- Residents of Dover, MA who are in need of short-term financial or other assistance; contact the Fund's officers or doverneighbors@gmail.com.
College scholarship
The Dover Foundation (independent 501(c)(3), serving Dover since 1947)
The Dover Foundation Scholarships
Scholarship grants awarded each June to graduating Dover high school seniors; the Foundation has awarded more than $700,000 to over 550 Dover students.
- Who is eligible
- Dover residents who are graduating seniors from any high school (public, private, technical, charter, magnet, boarding, religious or parochial). Selection considers financial need, academic success, community service and general character; applicants complete an application and an essay and parents complete a confidential statement, due by April 15.
College scholarship
Dover-Sherborn High School (Senior Awards Night)
Dover-Sherborn High School Local Scholarships
Local scholarships from Dover and Sherborn individuals and organizations, awarded to Dover-Sherborn High School seniors at the Senior Awards Night.
- Who is eligible
- Dover-Sherborn High School seniors; some scholarships are granted through a student application and others through a selection process run by the high school's Scholarship Committee. Availability, criteria and dollar amounts change from year to year; applications are available on April 1 through the Guidance Office.
College scholarship
Dover Sherborn METCO Scholarship Fund (501(c)(3), incorporated 2017)
Dover Sherborn METCO Scholarship Fund
Scholarship awards, plus a DS METCO alumni-run mentoring program, supporting Dover-Sherborn METCO students.
- Who is eligible
- DS METCO students; eligible to apply in the spring of their graduating year and in the four years after graduation.
College scholarship
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance
John and Abigail Adams Scholarship
Tuition credit covering up to eight semesters of undergraduate tuition at a Massachusetts state college or university; tuition only, with fees and room and board not covered.
- Who is eligible
- Graduates of a Massachusetts public high school who place in the highest 25 percent of their district on the 10th grade MCAS English Language Arts and Mathematics tests, along with the other conditions the program sets out.
College scholarship
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance
Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery Award
Waives tuition at Massachusetts public colleges and universities (valued per the state page at $1,714 at UMass Amherst and UMass Boston, $1,454 at UMass Lowell and $1,417 at UMass Dartmouth).
- Who is eligible
- A U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations who has physically resided in Massachusetts for at least one year, with high academic achievement on MCAS and other measures of achievement.
Financial aid
Dover Council on Aging (Town of Dover)
Dover Council on Aging Financial & Energy Assistance
Information and application assistance for federal, state and local energy/fuel assistance (including the SMOC fuel assistance program), referrals to the Salvation Army for food-voucher applications, and reviews of eligibility for welfare and Social Security benefits; confidential.
- Who is eligible
- Dover residents age 60 and older experiencing financial hardship; contact the COA Outreach Coordinator at 508-315-5734.