Maryland’s General Assembly recently passed new legislation creating the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship—a program which aims to provide eligible students attending a community college in the State of Maryland with tuition assistance.

Highlights of the Promise Scholarship follow. Additional information regarding The Maryland Promise Act is provided by MHEC here.

To be considered for the Promise Scholarship an applicant must:

• Submit a complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online or Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) online through MDCAPS for any applicant who is ineligible to receive federal aid but is eligible for in-state tuition, by March 1^st each year;
• Meet the income requirements as reported on their FAFSA or MSFAA by March 1 each year. Students will be notified by email of the required documentation to submit for further consideration for the Scholarship. Applicants should login to their MDCAPS accounts and review their “Check Application Status” section for a complete listing of all required documentation that must be submitted to MHEC; and
• Submit all documentation, if required, to MHEC by May 1st (Late submissions will not be accepted).

Who May Apply?

An applicant that graduated from a Maryland high school or GED recipient who is planning to enroll, or is currently enrolled, at a Maryland community college as a candidate in:

• a credit-bearing vocational certificate;
• a credit-bearing certificate;
• an associate degree program;
• a sequence of credit or non-credit courses that leads to licensure or certification; or
• a registered apprenticeship program.

• Applicants must be eligible for in-state tuition, as determined by the community college in accordance with Title 15 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland;
• High school applicants must have earned an unweighted cumulative GPA of at least a 2.3 or its equivalent:
  • at the end of the first semester of their senior year in high school; or
  • at the end of their senior year in high school.
• Applicants currently or previously enrolled at a community college must have earned either:
  • a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.5 from the community college; or
  • a high school unweighted cumulative GPA of at least a 2.3 or its equivalent at the end of the first semester or end of their senior year in high school.
    (Applicants should submit an official or unofficial high school OR community college transcript)

• Applicants whose annual adjusted gross income was not more than:
  • $100,000 if the applicant is single or resides in a single-parent household; or
  • $150,000 if the applicant is married or resides in a two-parent household for the 2018 tax year as defined by MHEC;
• Applicants who have not earned a bachelor’s degree or an associate degree; and
• Applicants who have not been awarded other educational grants or scholarships that cover the applicants’ full cost of attendance at community colleges.

Credit students must enroll full time for at least 12 credits per term

The Promise Scholarship is a last dollar award that is calculated to eligible recipients after all State or Federal student financial aid received by the recipient has been applied to their tuition;

If ineligible to submit a FAFSA, student must qualify for in-state tuition.

More information can be found online at the MHEC website.

For questions or assistance with understanding the scholarship requirements, or your eligibility, please reach out to our financial aid department at [email protected] or 410-822-5400 ext 2252.

Updated 11/20/2020