The Maryland Senatorial Scholarship is offered to Maryland residents who plan to pursue a postsecondary credential full-time (12+ credits undergraduate or 9+ credits graduate per semester) or part-time (6-11 credits undergraduate or 6-8 credits graduate per semester) at a two-year or four-year Maryland college, university or private career school.
These scholarships are offered/awarded through your state delegation for your district, not through your federal delegation, which includes your U.S. Senators.
How Do I Apply?
Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online when it becomes available in December by March 1, each year. In the meantime, please go to StudentAid.gov and create a password and user name. If you are eligible for in-state tuition, but ineligible to receive federal financial aid, you must submit the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) instead.
If your state senator makes his/her own awards, you must call or write to your legislator for further instructions.
When To Apply
Complete and file the FAFSA or MSFAA by March 1, each year and contact your state senator in February for further instructions. (Below are instructions on how to contact your state senator)
Eligibility Requirements:
- You and your parents (if you are a dependent student) must be Maryland residents.
- You must enroll at a two-year or four-year Maryland college or university, as a full-time (12+ credits undergraduate or 9+ credits graduate) or part-time (6-11 credits undergraduate or 6-8 credits graduate), degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate student, or attend certain private career schools. Audited courses may not be used to reach the minimum credit hours required for full-time or part-time status.
- You must demonstrate financial need.
- 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.
Award Amount:
- 2022-2023 Award Minimum: $400
- 2022-2023 Award Maximum: $12,617
You may hold the Senatorial Scholarship with all state awards. 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.
Funds may not be available to award all eligible students.
Some state senators have OSFA make awards for them. These awards are made on the basis of financial need as demonstrated on the student's FAFSA.
Eligible Majors
All in-state majors are eligible.
Award recipients who 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 may use the scholarship to reimburse educational expenses.
Out-of-State Exceptions:
- Award recipients may use this scholarship at an out-of-state school if your major is not available at any Maryland institution and if your legislator agrees. In order to verify your major as unique, you must complete and submit the online Unique Major Application by July 31, 2023. The 2023 application is closed.
- Scholarship can be used at out-of-state institutions if the applicant is on active duty with the U.S Military and domiciled in the state.
- The scholarship may also be used out-of-state if the student is disabled and studying at an institution outside the state that makes special provisions for disabled students that are not available to the applicant at an institution in Maryland.
Certain unique majors not offered at a Maryland public university may also be eligible for the Academic Common Market, a tuition savings program that allows students enrolled in approved programs at participating institutions to pay in-state tuition rates! Click here to learn more.
Renewing an Award
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 total of four years. 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 if the recipient:
- has requested a scholarship from the Senator for a fifth undergraduate academic year or for a semester subsequent to the end of a fourth undergraduate academic year;
- is a full-time student;
- continues to be a resident of the state;
- continues to be a student at the institution and takes courses leading to a degree; and
- has exhausted the funds available under the Senatorial Scholarship.
Awards Available: 10