Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) News Brief

Need Money to Go to College?

The Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship is a last dollar scholarship that is available to students who enroll at a Maryland community college. Eligible students can receive up to $5,000 to cover any remaining tuition and mandatory fee expenses after Federal or State financial aid has been applied.

Students must be within the required adjusted gross income limits of $100,000 if the applicant is single or resides in a single parent household and $150,000 if the applicant is married or resides in a two parent household.

After completing and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Maryland State FInancial Aid Application (MSFAA) by March 1, eligible applicants must submit certain documentation for further consideration of the award.

Remediation in Maryland Higher Education

The Office of Research and Policy Analysis recently concluded its six-part research series on remediation in Maryland Higher Education. This series briefly examines the impact of college-level remediation on student success in Maryland public colleges and universities, and follows a cohort of students through a series of six reports: What is Remediation and Why Does It Matter? Remedial Assessment at Maryland Colleges and Universities   Remedial Course Completion Credit-Bearing Course Completion First-Year Outcomes Second-Year Retention A summary of the series can be found on the Research webpage under "Student and Academic Affairs."

A Note from Maryland Higher Education Secretary Dr. James Fielder

Looking for money to go to college? The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) has partnered with Maryland Public Television (MPT) to bring you an hour-long broadcast to help you navigate your way through the financial aid process.  The program, Ways to Pay for College is available to view at https://video.mpt.tv/video/ways-to-pay-for-college-2022-23-tunnvt/.

MHEC’s New Office of Student Financial Assistance Director, Al Dorsett, is part of the program and talks about the $130 million in State scholarships and grants that is  available to Maryland residents attending a Maryland college or university. Director Dorsett's segment is 19 minutes and 15 seconds into the video, but watch the whole hour to learn more about how MHEC is helping students to gain access to college and achieve their higher education goals.

Remember, in order to be eligible for a number of the scholarships and grants administered by MHEC, students are required to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) for the upcoming academic year.

So if you haven't already, complete and submit the 2023-2024 FAFSA OR MSFAA because the applications opened on October 1st! 

While you have until March 1st to submit your application, why wait?  Get it done sooner rather than later, and get a jump-start on those who will also be vying for the millions of dollars in financial aid available.

As soon as you complete and submit your FAFSA or MSFAA, make sure to create a Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS) Account. This is a critical  part of the financial aid process.

Go to MHEC.Maryland.gov and click on the MDCAPS ICON, which looks like a graduation cap. Please make sure when you sign up that you use an email that you use all the time, because the email you put in as your MDCAPS account is the email we will  use to notify you about any scholarships or grants you may be eligible to receive!

You could receive State scholarships and grants that total anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000, so make sure you complete and submit your FAFSA/MSFAA and create your MDCAPS account as soon as possible.