Quick Highlights:
- Maryland offers a wide range of scholarships to residents, focusing on fields like STEM, agriculture, and nursing.
- Scholarships cater to various groups, including women, cancer survivors, and students with disabilities.
- Many scholarships in Maryland are based on merit or need, and some consider leadership and community service.
- Awards vary greatly in amount, some reaching up to $200,000, supporting different levels of education from undergraduate to professional.
Students have many financial aid options available to them to pay for the cost of attending Maryland college or university. These options include scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, and loans. Maryland scholarships and grants do not have to be paid back which enables the student to not have the burden of accumulating thousands of dollars in debt. This can make the college experience more enjoyable and less stressful for the student.
There are numerous scholarships, grants, and tuition waiver programs available to students who live in the state of Maryland, and a sample of some of the options are listed below.
1. 2+2 Transfer Scholarship
Amount: $2,000 annually for students enrolled in STEM, teaching or nursing programs.
$1,000 annually for students enrolled in other programs.
Qualifications: A student and their parents have to be residents of Maryland. The student has to be enrolled in a community college in Maryland, be in their final semester before transferring to a four-year higher learning institution where they have been accepted and have earned an associate’s degree. They must submit an application through MD CAPS, apply for financial aid, submit official college transcripts, and register with the selective service system.
2. Mahindra USA Women in Ag Scholarship
Amount: Maximum $2,500
Qualifications: This scholarship is only available to female students who are in a two or four-year agriculture degree program. This is a needs-based scholarship for students who demonstrate strong academic and leadership skills. Students must demonstrate an interest in a career in agriculture, and they must have participated in community service.
3. Maryland Delegate Scholarship
Amount: The minimum annual award is $200; the maximum is $19,000
Qualifications: A student and their parents have to reside in Maryland. Students must be enrolled full-time or part-time in a two-year or four-year college, university or private career school. Students of all majors are eligible, but if a major is not available at a higher learning institution in Maryland, then this scholarship can be used out-of-state upon approval. Students need to fill out a financial aid package and contact their state delegate for further instructions.
4. Banneker/Key Scholarship Program
Amount: $8,000 for in-state students; $12,000 for out-of-state students
Qualifications: This is a merit scholarship that is offered to the top one percent of incoming freshmen at the University of Maryland. Students are evaluated on academic achievement, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, awards and honors, essays, and letters of recommendation. There is no application for this scholarship other than the admissions application to the University of Maryland, and there is an interview process.
5. Board of Young Adult Advisors Scholarship
Amount: $2,500 maximum
Qualifications: This scholarship is offered to residents of Baltimore or Washington, D.C. who are pursuing a graduate or professional degree. An applicant must be a cancer survivor or have supported a family member through their struggles with cancer. The applicant also must have been between the ages of 15 and 39 when they or their family member was undergoing cancer treatment.
6. Maryland Senatorial Scholarship
Amount: $400 minimum; $10,100 maximum
Qualifications: A student and their parents must reside in Maryland. High school seniors, full and part-time undergraduate and graduate students, and career college students may apply for this scholarship. The student must demonstrate financial need and apply for financial aid to qualify. All majors are eligible, and if a major is not available at a school, then the student can go out of state and still receive the scholarship.
7. Carson Scholars Fund, Inc Scholarship
Amount: $1,000 maximum
Qualifications: This scholarship is for students in grades 4 through 11 who have a minimum 3.75 GPA and are involved in community service. Although the Carson Scholars Fund is based out of Maryland, it is available to any student who attends an accredited K-12 school in the U.S. Only one student per school can be nominated for this award.
8. State Loan Repayment Program and Maryland Loan Assistance Repayment Program for Physicians
Amount: Up to $200,000 at $50,000 per year
Qualifications: Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national with a medical degree and a valid unrestricted medical license in the state of Maryland. The physician or physician assistant must practice in a health professional shortage area. Applications are available through Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
9. Howard P. Rawlings Guaranteed Access Grant
Amount: $17,900
Qualifications: This is a needs-based grant for high school seniors who are taking college prep courses and plan on attending an independent college or university in Maryland. Applicants need to file for financial aid and complete the Howard P. Rawlings Guaranteed Access Grant application.
10. Howard P. Rawlings Educational Assistance Grant
Amount: Not to exceed $19,000
Qualifications: This is a need-based grant for students who are residents of Maryland who will enroll in a Maryland college or university as a full-time undergraduate. Awards are renewable every year for up to four years. Applicants need to complete an application and file for federal student financial aid.
11. Dean’s Scholarship Program
Amount: Up to $4,500 per year for two years
Qualifications: This scholarship is for 400 Maryland residents who will be incoming freshmen at the University of Maryland. It is a merit-based scholarship where recipients receive the award based on their academic achievement and standardized test scores, awards, honors, extracurricular activities, and essays. Applicants can contact the University of Maryland for more information.
12. Carville M. Akehurst Memorial Scholarships
Amount: $4,000 maximum
Qualification: The applicant must be a Maryland resident, but they can attend a college or university outside the state. They must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate landscape, horticulture or related program as a junior or senior. Applicants can go to www.hriresearch.com for more information.
13. Maryland Dent-Care Loan Assistance Repayment Program (MDC-LARP)
Amount: $23,740 per year for up to three years
Qualifications: The applicant must be a Maryland resident, a full-time practicing dentist in Maryland with a valid, unrestricted license, and at least 30 percent of their patients must be in the Maryland Medical Assistance Program. Applicants must complete and file an MDC-LARP application through Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
14. Chesapeake Urology Associates Scholarships
Amount: Up to $5,000
Qualifications: Full-time undergraduate students who are pursuing degrees in medicine, nursing, or an allied health field at a college or university in Maryland can qualify for this scholarship. They are selected based on academic achievement, financial need, and commitment to joining the medical profession. Applicants can contact the Chesapeake Urology Associates Scholarships for more information.
15. The President’s Scholarship Program
Amount: $2,000 to $12,000 per year up to four years
Qualifications: This is a merit-based scholarship program provided by the University of Maryland to incoming freshmen from around the country who will be attending the school. Applicants can contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at the University for more details.
16. Chesapeake Bay Trust Student of the Year
Amount: $5,000
Qualifications: The student must be a Maryland resident and a full-time high school or college student who promotes environmental awareness at school or in the community. Applicants must fill out an application and write a 500-word or less essay.
17. Hal and Jo Cohen Graduate Nursing Faculty Scholarship
Amount: Varies. It is equal to the tuition and fees for a nursing program at a Maryland college or university.
Qualifications: Applicants must be a Maryland resident and a current full or part-time graduate student in a nursing program. The scholarship is automatically renewed each year as long as the student meets the terms and conditions of the scholarship.
18. Cynthia E. Morgan Memorial Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Qualifications: The applicant must be a Maryland resident, a junior or senior in high school, or currently attending a college or university in Maryland. They must also be the first person in their immediate family to attend a college or university with plans of going into the medical field.
19. Tuition Reduction for Non-Resident Nursing Students
Amount: Students pay in-state tuition
Qualifications: This financial assistance program is for out-of-state full and part-time students who are pursuing a nursing degree at a Maryland college or university. This is not based on financial need, it is not available to Maryland residents, and it automatically renews for up to three years.
20. Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program
Amount: $1,000 to $5,000 per year
Qualifications: Applicants must be Maryland residents, and they must be enrolled in a professional or graduate degree program at a participating college or university in the state. Eligible degree programs include law, medicine, dentistry, and nursing to name a few. Students can apply by completing and filing for student financial aid and by contacting the student aid office where they plan to attend.
21. Doug Parker Memorial Scholarship
Amount: $2,500
Qualifications: This scholarship is for students who live in Howard County, Maryland, who are seeking higher education. They or an immediate family must have been diagnosed and treated for cancer between the ages of 15 and 39. Applicants can go to www.ulmanfund.org/scholarships for more information and apply.
22. Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant Program
Amount: $1,000 to $4,000 per year not to exceed $19,000 total
Qualifications: This is both a merit and needs-based program for students in Maryland who plan on going into teaching, human services, social work, child care, nursing, and public service. Grant applications can be found at https://mdcaps.mhec.state.md.us, and if the student would like this grant based on financial need, then they will have to fill out a student financial aid application.
23. Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program / Jean B. Cryor Memorial Scholarship Program
Amount: Equivalent to the annual in-state tuition within the University System of Maryland
Qualifications: Applicants must be Maryland residents who are the child, stepchild or surviving spouse of a U.S. Armed Forces member who died or suffered a permanent disability as a result of military service. It is also for the child, stepchild or surviving spouse of a victim of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Applicants should contact the financial aid office of the college or university they plan to attend.
24. Esperanza Scholarship
Amount: $5,000 to $20,000
Qualifications: An applicant must be born outside of the U.S. or be a first generation American, who is a senior in a Maryland, Virginia, or D.C. high school. A committee from the local community will look into an applicant’s academic achievement, leadership and ability to overcoming challenges. Applicants can go to www.esperanzafund.org to apply.
25. Flag House Scholarship Award
Amount: $1,812
Qualifications: This scholarship is awarded to a high school senior from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore. Applicants are only required to write an essay of 250 words or less on a question the Flag House provides, and the applicant must live in or be able to travel to Baltimore. Applicants can go to the website for more information.
26. JCS Newhoff Scholarship for a Jewish Student with a Diagnosed Learning Disability
Amount: Varies
Qualifications: The applicant must be from the Baltimore Metro area who plans on attending a college or university. They must be Jewish, have a documented learning disability, and they must come from a single parent home.
27. Kahdine Ann DaCosta Scholarship for Excellence in Leadership
Amount: $1,000
Qualifications: An applicant must be a racial minority high school senior in the Baltimore Metro area in good standing who demonstrates excellent leadership skills in the community and through extracurricular activities. The applicant must commit to two consecutive years of community service. More information can be found on the website.
28. Letitia B. Carter Scholarship
Amount: $2,000
Qualifications: This scholarship is for Maryland residents who are taking hospitality-related classes and have documented industry experience. It is open to high school seniors, college students, and hospitality industry professionals, and interested applicants can go to the website for more information and apply.
29. Lisa Higgins-Hussman Foundation Scholarship
Amount: $2,500
Qualifications: The applicant must be between the ages of 15 and 35 and a resident of Maryland, Virginia, or D.C., and they or an immediate family must have been diagnosed and treated for cancer. The website has more information about this scholarship.
30. Maryland Part-Time Grant Program
Amount: $2,000
Qualifications: Students who are part-time undergraduates or are simultaneously enrolled in a secondary school and a college or university may apply to this grant program. Students can apply through the federal student aid application process.
31. Maryland Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Recipients
Amount: N/A
Qualifications: Applicants under the age of 25 who are attending a two or four-year college or university and are in an out-of-home placement in Maryland may qualify for this program. Students who qualify will have their tuition waived at a Maryland public college or university. They can apply for this through the federal student aid application process.
32. Perlita Liwanag Memorial Scholarship
Amount: $2,500
Qualifications: This scholarship is for adults living in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and D.C., who are seeking a higher education in the U.S. They must have been between the ages of 15 and 39 when they or an immediate family member were diagnosed and treated for cancer. Interested applicants can go to the website for more information.
33. Regina C. Williams Memorial Scholarships
Amount: $1,000
Qualifications: An applicant must be a high school senior residing in Prince Georges County, attend a Prince Georges County, public school, and has been accepted to a college. The student must work towards getting a degree in education. www.reginacwilliams.org has more information about this scholarship.
34. The Junior League of Baltimore Young Woman Voluntarism Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Qualifications: This scholarship is for a female graduating high school senior who has performed excellent volunteer work throughout high school. The student must reside in Maryland, and no immediate family can be a member of the Junior League of Baltimore. Go to the website for more information.
35. Korean American Scholarship Foundation – Eastern Regional Chapter
Amount: $500 to $5,000
Qualifications: A student must be a Korean-American living in Maryland or one of the other eastern regional states for this chapter. It is a needs-based scholarship that is open to Koreans who are U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. More information can be found on the website. Students have many financial aid options available to them to pay for the cost of attending Maryland college or university. These options include scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, and loans. Maryland scholarships and grants do not have to be paid back which enables the student to not have the burden of accumulating thousands of dollars in debt. This can make the college experience more enjoyable and less stressful for the student. There are numerous scholarships, grants, and tuition waiver programs available to students who live in the state of Maryland.
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