Scholarships did more than just allow Jacob Nevins ’27 to choose UMass Amherst. They ensured that he would have flexibility and equitable access to high-impact programs and activities that prepare him for the future.

Jacob Nevins ’27 had his heart set on going to the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.  

He had been accepted to Isenberg and invited to join the Dean’s Academy, a highly selective program for exceptional first-year students that allows them to participate in weekly seminars with the academy director, make connections with the dean and other Isenberg faculty, and meet with prominent alumni, corporate executives, and industry leaders.  

But putting together the funding to attend was a challenge. After exhausting the money he saved from working throughout high school, he still had a $3,000-$4,000 gap.

“I didn't know if I was going to be able to attend until mid-August, which was two weeks before I would have moved in,” he says.

A native of North Andover, Mass and a first-generation student, Nevins wanted to take advantage of the opportunities at UMass for reasons beyond just career preparation.  

“I have a younger brother, and he's seven years old,” he says. “I like to think that he's able to look up to my twin brother and me and he's able to say, we're not the wealthiest family, but college is possible.”

Additional scholarship money from UMass has done more than simply close the gap for Nevins and ensure his attendance. It has unlocked opportunities he never imagined. With a double major in Operations Information Management and Public Policy, he has been able to secure an internship in the Office of Massachusetts State Senator Barry Finegold, join the International Scholars Program in the Commonwealth Honors College, and travel abroad to South Africa through Isenberg.

“In fact, the Dean’s Academy is the only reason I even heard about the trip,” he says.  

At the information session, he talked to the head of the nonprofit that partners with Isenberg about strategies for helping unhoused people. She contacted Bradley Bennett, the Accounting Department Chair at Isenberg, who coordinates the trip each year.

“He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t make me tell him why I couldn’t afford to go on a trip like this,” says Nevins. “He said, ‘If you want to go, we’ll make it happen. I went on that trip on a full scholarship.”    

At the time, Nevins had not traveled outside the United States. Now, he’s planning his second trip to South Africa – this time as a student leader.

“This year, we're going to be building financial literacy courses and learning modules,” he says. “We’ll be sharing knowledge that we have at UMass with these students that are being affected by abject poverty.”

Nevins is also thinking about how UMass can improve financial support for current and future students. In November, he was named vice chair of the Undergraduate Services Committee in the UMass Student Government Association.

“I get to be more involved in making UMass a better place. We’re advocating for increasing financial aid for students like me. I’m excited that I’m being given the opportunity to make real change.” 

— Jacob Nevins ’27

Nevins knows that none of his experiences thus far would have been possible without financial aid, and he has a message for potential donors: “Scholarships help students thrive.”

Are you interested in helping more UMass Amherst students thrive? Make your gift to scholarships today.