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. 

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Application Timeline:

• Current or prospective students should contact their local Senator for instructions on how to apply.

Eligibility Requirements:

You must qualify under at least one of the following conditions:

• Current high school seniors; 
  
• Current or prospective full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students;  
  
• Current or prospective part-time degree-seeking undergraduate students; 
  
• Current or prospective full-time degree-seeking graduate students; 
  
• Current or prospective part-time degree-seeking graduate students; 
  
• Current or prospective private career school enrollees; 
  
• Undocumented students eligible for in-state tuition; or
  
• 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.

All in-state majors are eligible

Application Process & Requirements:

• Current or prospective students should contact their local state Senators for instructions on how to apply. For a list and contact information of the student's local state senators, please visit http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/District or the Maryland State Board of Elections website.
• Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the established deadline provided by their state Senator. 
• If the senator requests that the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) will be responsible for identifying and awarding local students, the FAFSA must be filed by March 1.
• OSFA will administer awards based on need, as demonstrated on the student's FAFSA.  

FAFSA Exception

• If a student is eligible for in-state tuition, but ineligible to receive Federal aid, the student must file the Maryland Higher Education Commission One-Application (MHEC One-App) instead of completing the FAFSA. To complete the MHEC One-App online click here.

Required Documentation:

• Any required documentation must be submitted to the Senator’s office directly.

​Award Amount:

• 2025-2026 Award Minimum: $400
• 2025-2026 Award Maximum: $13,689
• The student may hold the Senatorial Scholarship with all state awards. The total dollar amount of all state scholarship awards may not exceed the students cost of attendance (as determined by their Financial Aid Office), or $35,508 whichever is less.  Funds may not be available to award all eligible students.
  

Renewal Requirements:

A recipient is eligible to receive a renewal award for up to three years if the recipient

• Continues to be a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate student.
• Continues to make satisfactory progress toward a degree and maintains the standards of the institution.

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.

Additional Information:

Out-of-State Exceptions

• Award recipients may use this scholarship at an out-of-state school if their major is not available at any Maryland institution and if their legislator agrees. In order to verify your out-of-state major as unique, you must complete and submit the online application by the established deadline. 
  

The 2025-2026 Unique Major Application for out-of-state majors can be found here.

 The application is open on March 15, 2025 and closes on July 1, 2025.

• Scholarships 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 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.

Note: 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.

Helpful Links:

• 2025-2026 Senatorial Conditions of Award.pdf

• Mdelect.net

• Unique Major Application

• Maryland State Board of Elections website​