Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts Launches Funding Her Future Scholarship Fund to Support Women Pursuing Degrees at Simmons University and Bay Path University
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New scholarship fund will provide financial support to students from under-resourced communities, and help address research showing women graduate with more debt and lower early-career earnings than men
BOSTON, MA, September 22, 2026 — The Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts (WFMA), a nonprofit public charity that funds and accelerates economically empowering programs for women and girls in Massachusetts, today announced the launch of the Funding Her Future Scholarship Fund, a new initiative providing $385,000 in grant funding to Simmons University and Bay Path University to support scholarships for students enrolled in the Universities’ women’s undergraduate programs.
The grants will allow the two universities to award scholarship support to eligible undergraduate students, with an anticipated positive impact for non-traditional students, women returning to school after raising families, and women from under-resourced communities across Massachusetts. Simmons and Bay Path will each administer the funding as part of their financial aid processes. Scholarship funds are expected to reach students starting this school year.
The announcement comes on the heels of WFMA’s Status of Women and Girls in Massachusetts research, conducted in partnership with the Wellesley Centers for Women, which found that just six years after high school, women already earn about $5,000 less per year than men, and those who attend college graduate with roughly $5,000 more in student debt.
“Postsecondary education should be one of the clearest paths to economic security for women, but our research shows it often comes at a cost that undercuts that promise: nearly $5,000 in lost early-career earnings and another $5,000 in added debt,” said Christina Gordon, Co-Founder and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts. “These scholarships are intended to address that disparity. We’re thrilled to partner with Simmons University and Bay Path University to offer a tangible way to make sure a woman’s degree pays off for her.”
Simmons University, located in Boston’s Longwood Medical Area, and Bay Path University, based in Longmeadow with a strong presence across Springfield and Western Massachusetts, were selected as inaugural partners for their track record of serving women from under-resourced communities, including non-traditional and adult learners returning to school after raising families.
“For more than 125 years, Simmons has been committed to expanding access to education and creating opportunities for our students to thrive,” said Lynn Perry Wooten, Ph.D., President of Simmons University. “We are grateful to the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts for this investment in our students and for sharing our commitment to ensuring that a Simmons education opens doors to meaningful careers and lifelong opportunity.”
“Many of the women we serve are one financial setback away from stepping away from their degree, so this partnership with the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts meets them at exactly the right moment,” said Sandra J. Doran, J.D., President of Bay Path University and Cambridge College. “We are excited for this partnership and for what it will mean for the women we serve.”
Announced following WFMA’s $3.7 million 2026 grant cycle, these scholarships bring the Foundation’s total funding this year to over $4.1 million.
About the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts
The Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to economically empowering women and girls across the Commonwealth. Through strategic, data-informed grantmaking, the Foundation invests in high-impact programs in education, leadership and mentoring, and career and financial empowerment. Learn more at wfma.org.
About Simmons University
Located in the heart of Boston, Simmons is a respected private university offering nearly 50 majors and programs through its women’s undergraduate program, and graduate programs open to all on campus, in blended formats or entirely online, in nursing and health sciences, business, communications, social work, public health, library and information science, and more. Founded in 1899, Simmons inspires a culture of education, connection, and action through high-impact learning with engaged faculty, an immersive community that forges lifelong networks, and career-centered programs that accelerate professional success. The result is a Simmons experience that prepares graduates to thrive as they launch and advance in their careers. For more information, please visit www.simmons.edu.
About Bay Path University
Bay Path University was founded in 1897. Today, Bay Path enrolls traditional undergraduate women at its Longmeadow campus, in Bay Path Online, and in master’s and doctoral programs. On July 1, 2024, Bay Path acquired Cambridge College, expanding its reach to more than 5,000 students. United by a shared mission, both institutions are committed to delivering innovative, career-focused education to students of all backgrounds, including working adults and first-generation learners. Learn more at baypath.edu.
Media Contact
For WFMA:
Olivia Leslie
For Simmons University:
Laura Wareck
For Bay Path University:
Karen Woods