The Maryland Higher Education Commission does not manage a state loan program and in 2012, they won't be managing any new merit scholarships either. Maryland's General Assembly passed legislation in 2011 phasing out the two state scholarship programs: the Distinguished Scholars Program, and the Distinguished Scholar Community College Transfer Program. While these awards can be renewed for students who already received them, after their four years (in 2015) no more awards will be given.
There is no longer any state financial aid program in Maryland that does not require either financial need or a service obligation, or both.
The state does offer a number of tuition assistance programs where the applicant is required to perform service and sign a promissory note:
Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant (WSSAG)- for careers in: child care; human services; teaching; nursing; physical and occupational therapy; and public service- awards from $1,000- $4,000 per year- awards are both need-based and merit- service obligation is 1 year for each award
Tuition Reduction for Non-Resident Nursing Students- for undergraduate nursing majors at Maryland colleges from other states- reduces nursing school tuition to resident level- no set amounts- service obligation is 4 years for a 4-year college and 2 years for a 2-year college regardless of how many years the award was given- if obligation is not met the difference in tuition must be paid back with interest
Optometry Tuition Reduction Program- for Maryland residents in an optometry program- $8,275 per year- not need-based- service obligation is 1 year for each award- broken obligation requires amount repaid with interest This program is no longer being funded.
Graduate Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Living Expenses Grant- for Maryland residents who are graduate students paying nursing school tuition- the scholarship amount is up to $13,000 per year and the living expenses grant is up to $25,000 per year- scholarship is merit-based and the grant is need-based- obligation is 2 years service for each 1 year of award- must be paid back with interest if the obligation is broken
Maryland Dent-Care Loan Assistance Repayment Program (MDC-LARP)- for practising dentists- repays student loans up to $23,000 per year- must remain practicing dentist and maintain at least 30 % patients as MMAP recipients
Loan Assistance Repayment Program Primary Care Services (LARP-PCS)- for primary care physicians and primary care medical residents- between $25,000 and $30,000 per year- not need-based- must practice in an underserved area in Maryland for two to four years
Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program (LARP)- for Maryland residents who provide public service in Maryland to low income or underserved residents- award is by level of loan debt...over $75,000 gets $30,000 down to below $15,000 gets $4,500
Charles W. Riley Fire and Emergency Medical Services Tuition Reimbursement Program- for Maryland resident active career or volunteer firefighters, ambulance or rescue squad members- amount is dollar amount of tuition charges-agreement to serve while in college and for 1 year after that
The Maryland Higher Education Commission oversees a few grant programs that are need-based:
the Howard P. Rawlings Guaranteed Access Grant for full-time Maryland students attending a 2 or 4 year Maryland school. (Must have a 2.5 GPA in high school and meet income requirements- a one-person family must have an income of less than $14,079, up to a family of eight with an income of less than $48,113 [Add $4,862 for each additional member.])
Awards are based on the amount of financial need after all other aid has been awarded
100% of your remaining financial need will be met (as long as the cost of all state awards is less than your cost of attendance or $19,000- whichever is less).
Minimum award is $400 and the yearly maximum is $13,700.
Award is renewed automatically as long as your FAFSA is filed on time and satisfactory progress (as defined by your school) is made.
Howard P. Rawlings Educational Assistance Grant for students who meet the same requirements without the income qualifier. In this case, your unmet need (EFC + or - COLA - state awards - federal Pell grant) is the only need-based formula. Without the income qualifier, obviously the award is less:
40% of your unmet need at 4 year schools, and 60% of your unmet need at 2 year schools
Minimum award is $400, and the maximum is $3,000.
Part-time Grant for Maryland students who are attending college part-time while in high school. The award is $200 to $2,000 depending on the financial need shown on your FAFSA.
Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program for students seeking advanced degrees in medicine, dentistry, law, nursing, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, and social work. Minimum award (based on FAFSA financial need is $1,000, and the maximum is $5,000.
Maryland offers Legislative Scholarships but often the legislators' decisions about who to offer the awards to is delegated to the Maryland Higher Education Commission- and they make the choice based strictly on financial need.
The awards can be anything from $200 up to your cost of attendance (or $19,000, whichever is less).
USA funds was the student loan guarantor for the state of Maryland (no affiliation with the Maryland Higher Education Commission). Now, all federal student loans come from the Direct federal student loan program.
Some more information you might want for your college funding needs!
The Maryland Higher Education Commission programs target the professions the state wants to encourage, rather than targeting segments of its population.
The Maryland Higher Education Commission programs target the professions the state wants to encourage, rather than targeting segments of its population.
