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?
Eligibility Requirements:
- Dependent students and their parents must be Maryland residents.
- Demonstrate financial need.
- 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; or
- Current or prospective private career school enrollees.
Note: Audited courses may not be used to reach the minimum credit hours required for full-time or part-time status.
Award Amount
- 2025-2026 Award Minimum: $400
- 2025-2026 Award Maximum: TBD
The student may hold the Senatorial Scholarship with all state awards. The total dollar amount of all state awards may not exceed the student's cost of attendance (as determined their Financial Aid Office), or $33,900, whichever is less. Funds may not be available to award all eligible students.
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 their major is not available at any Maryland institution and if their legislator agrees. In order to verify your major as unique, you must complete and submit the online application by the established deadline. The 2025-2026 Unique Major Application will open on March 15 and close on July 1. The link will be provided on this page.
- 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.
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.
Renewing an Award
Senatorial Conditions of Award
If a student receives a renewable award, it will renew automatically as long as they maintain satisfactory academic progress at the college they 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.
