Who may apply: Current high school seniors, full-time and part-time, degree-seeking undergraduates and graduate students.
How to apply: New and renewal applicants to the program must contact their higher education institution's financial aid office for application instructions. Do not submit any applications or documents to the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA).
When to apply to your institution: By July 15
Eligible majors: All majors are eligible.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
You must enroll at a two-year or four-year Maryland college or university, as a full-time or part-time, degree-seeking undergraduate, graduate, or professional student; or be enrolled in a 2-year terminal certificate program in which the coursework is acceptable for transfer credit for an accredited baccalaureate program in an eligible institution; or be enrolled in a private career school.
You must qualify under at least one of the following conditions:
▪ The son, daughter, or stepchild of a member of the United States Armed Forces who died as a result of military service or who suffered a service-connected 100% permanent disability as result of military service.
▪ The surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a member of the United States Armed Forces who suffered a service-connected 100% permanent disability as result of military service.
▪ A veteran, as defined under § 9–901 of the State Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, who either suffers a service connected disability of 25% or greater and has exhausted or is no longer eligible for federal veterans' educational benefits.
▪ The son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse of a victim of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks who died as a result of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the attack on the Pentagon in Virginia, or the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
▪ A POW/MIA of the Vietnam Conflict or his/her son, daughter, or stepchild and was a resident of this State at the time the person was declared to be a prisoner of war or missing in action.
▪ The son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a State or local public safety employee (a career or volunteer member of a fire department, ambulance, or rescue squad or company; a law enforcement officer; correctional officer; or member of the Maryland National Guard) who died in the line of duty or who was 100 percent disabled in the line of duty.
▪ A State or local public safety employee or volunteer who was 100 percent disabled in the line of duty.
▪ The son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a school employee who, as a result of an act of violence either died in the line of duty or sustained an injury in the line of duty that rendered the school employee 100% disabled.
Applicants must be a Maryland resident at the time of
application with the exception of the following individuals:
- A Son,
Daughter, Stepson, or Stepdaughter of any State or Local Public Safety Employee
killed in the line of duty; or
- The Surviving spouse of any State or Local
Public Safety Employee killed in the line of duty; Or
- A Disabled Public Safety Employee; or
- A Son, Daughter, Stepson, Stepdaughter of a
disabled Public Safety Employee who sustains an injury in the line of duty that
renders the Public Safety Employee 100% disabled; or
- The Surviving Spouse of a Disabled Public Safety
Employee who sustains an injury in the line of duty that renders the Public
Safety Employee 100% disabled.
FINANCIAL NEED
This award is not based on need.
AWARD AMOUNT
The amount of your award may not exceed the equivalent annual tuition and mandatory fees, of a resident undergraduate at a four-year public institution of higher education within the University System of Maryland, other than the University of Maryland University College and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, with the highest annual expenses for a full-time resident undergraduate.
Awards to the sons, daughters or spouses of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks may not exceed the amount specified above when combined with any other scholarships received by a student based on the student’s status as a child or spouse of a victim of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Funds may not be available to award all eligible students.
RENEWING AN AWARD
Initial awards made after July 1, 2010 will be automatically renewed by the financial aid office at the institution you are attending for the next academic year. For questions concerning your renewal award, please contact your college's financial aid office.
Awards may be held for five years of full-time study (12+ credits per semester) or eight years of part-time study (6-11 credits per semester) or a combination of both. Audited courses cannot be used to reach the minimum credit hours required for full-time or part-time status.
