Maryland Senatorial Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Maryland Higher Education Commission

The Maryland Senatorial Scholarship is a financial aid opportunity available to Maryland residents who are planning to pursue a postsecondary education. This scholarship is applicable for both full-time and part-time students attending a two-year or four-year Maryland college, university, or private career school. Full-time students are defined as those taking 12 or more undergraduate credits or 9 or more graduate credits per semester, while part-time students are those taking between 6-11 undergraduate credits or 6-8 graduate credits per semester.

It's important to note that these scholarships are awarded through your state delegation for your district, not through your federal delegation, which includes your U.S. Senators.

To apply for this scholarship, you need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online between December and March 1 of each year. You can create a username and password at StudentAid.gov. If you are eligible for in-state tuition but ineligible to receive federal financial aid, you should submit the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) instead. If your state senator personally awards scholarships, you will need to contact them directly for further instructions.

The deadline to apply is March 1 of each year. It's recommended to reach out to your state senator in February for further instructions on how to apply.

Eligibility for this scholarship requires that both you and your parents (if you are a dependent student) are Maryland residents. You must be enrolled at a Maryland college or university as a full-time or part-time, degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate student, or attend certain private career schools. Audited courses do not count towards the minimum credit hours required for full-time or part-time status. You must also demonstrate financial need. Additionally, you must take the SAT 1 or the ACT unless you graduated from high school five or more years ago, have earned 24 college credit hours, or are attending a community college or a private career school.

The minimum award for the 2022-2023 academic year is $400, with a maximum award of $12,617. You can hold the Senatorial Scholarship with all state awards, but the total dollar amount of all state awards may not exceed your cost of attendance as determined by your school's financial aid office, or $29,600, whichever is less. Please note that funds may not be available to award all eligible students.

All in-state majors are eligible for this scholarship. If you are currently enrolled, or were enrolled within the last two years, in a certificate or license program, course, or sequence of courses at a community college that leads to certification or licensure, you may use the scholarship to reimburse educational expenses.

There are some exceptions for out-of-state students. If your major is not available at any Maryland institution and your legislator agrees, you may use this scholarship at an out-of-state school. You must complete and submit the online Unique Major Application by July 31, 2023, to verify your major as unique. The scholarship can also be used at out-of-state institutions if you are on active duty with the U.S Military and domiciled in the state, or if you are a disabled student studying at an institution outside the state that makes special provisions for disabled students that are not available to you at an institution in Maryland.

If you received a renewable award, it will renew automatically as long as you maintain satisfactory academic progress at the college you attend. Full-time students may receive a Senatorial Scholarship for a total of four years, while part-time students may receive a Senatorial Scholarship for a total of eight years. A recipient may hold a scholarship for a fifth undergraduate academic year or for a semester subsequent to the end of a fourth undergraduate academic year under certain conditions.