Most state aid requires students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students and parents must live in the state granting the assistance and provide proof of residency (driver’s license, voter registration, state income tax returns, and the like) upon request.
State aid may be available from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Students should check with their home state office or high school guidance counselor for further information.
Maryland recently made changes to its credit hour requirement for some programs. Please refer to the information under Maryland State Scholarships and Grants for program updates.
Students in the ACA program are eligible for Maryland state financial aid if they qualify through Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) after spending an academic year at WAU.
Qualified children of undocumented immigrants under 15-106.8 of the Maryland Education Article are now eligible to apply for various State financial aid grants and scholarships.
The Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) is required to apply for assistance. The MSFAA is available to applicants who are ineligible to receive federal aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A social security number is not required to complete the MSFAA.
Visit the Maryland College Aid Processing (MDCAPS) portal to complete the MSFAA. The application deadline is March 1 of each year.
INFORMATION | Maryland State Financial Aid Application
https://mhec.maryland.gov/Pages/MHEC%20One%20App%20FAQs.aspx
Maryland State Scholarships and Grants
Howard P. Rawlings Educational Assistance Grant
The grant is available to full-time students with proven financial need who are Maryland residents attending Maryland institutions or certain approved out-of-state institutions. Students may receive up to $3,000 per year depending on need and the cost of education. The awards are funded by the state legislature and are administered by the State Scholarship Administration.
The FAFSA or MSFAA application deadline is March 1 for the following school year.
Maryland Guaranteed Access Grant
The grant is available to full-time students attending a Maryland college who are in their senior year in high school and have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or above and a family income that qualifies them for a free lunch in the federal free lunch program.
It is renewable if the student maintains a 2.0 GPA and continues to meet WAU SAP policies and the income requirements. The FAFSA or MSFAA application deadline is March 1 for the following school year. WAU fills the gap up to the cost of tuition and fees minus the GA award amount. The grant’s amount includes tuition, fees, room and board, less the Federal Pell Grant amount up to the amount charged at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Maryland Delegate Scholarship
The state-funded scholarship is available to full- and part-time students who are Maryland residents attending Maryland degree-granting institutions, out-of-state institutions with unique majors, certain private career schools or nursing diploma schools.
The four-year renewable scholarship is a variable amount depending on a student’s proven financial need. To apply for the Delegate Scholarship program, students must contact the three state delegates from their legislative district beginning in February of each calendar year. Delegate awards are made on an annual basis and are not automatically renewed for the next academic year. The FAFSA or MSFAA application deadline is March 1.
Maryland Senatorial Scholarship
The state-funded scholarship is available to full- and part-time students who are Maryland residents attending Maryland institutions. The four year renewable scholarship is from $400 to $2,000 per year, depending on a student’s proven financial need. The FAFSA or MSFAA application deadline is March 1 for the following school year.
Not all senatorial scholarships are automatically renewed, and some are for one year only. Students are required to reapply to receive additional funds if they received a one-time-only award. For consideration, students should contact their state senator beginning in February of each calendar year.
Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship
The Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship program is designed to provide financial assistance to United States armed forces personnel who served in the Afghanistan or Iraq Conflicts and their sons, daughters or spouses attending a Maryland postsecondary institution.
An individual must be a member, or spouse or child of a member, of a uniform service of the United States who served in Afghanistan, or contiguous airspace as defined in federal regulations, on or after October 24, 2001 and before a terminal date to be prescribed by the U.S. Secretary of Defense; or in Iraq, or contiguous waters or airspace as defined in federal regulations, on or after March 19, 2003 and before a terminal date to be prescribed by the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
The individual must be a Maryland resident, enrolled as either a full-time (12 or more credits per semester) or part-time (six to 11 credits per semester) undergraduate.
Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant Program
The purpose of the Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant Program is to assist in meeting the state’s need for well-trained and highly skilled workers in shortage areas. Students who perform well academically and agree to use their training in eligible programs as members of Maryland’s workforce may qualify for scholarship assistance.
Both merit and need-based criteria will be used when making awards. The award is $4,000 per year if attending a Maryland four-year institution full time (12 or more credits per semester for undergraduate; nine or more credits per semester for graduate) or $2,000 per year if part-time (six to 11 credits per semester for undergraduate; six to eight credits per semester for graduate).
Maryland state scholarship and grant information
INFORMATION | Maryland’s Financial Aid Assistance programs 800-974-1024 | mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/descriptions.aspx
Credit Completion Requirements for Maryland Grant Renewals
All Guaranteed Access Grant (GA), Educational Assistance Grant (EAG), and Campus-Based Educational Assistance Grant (CBEAG) recipients must earn 30 credits in their second year of receiving the award to receive the same amount in the third year (assuming all eligibility requirements are met).
Students who fail to meet the 30-hour requirement risk having their grant award prorated.
INFORMATION | Maryland “Fast Track to Finish” credit completion requirements mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/EEAProgramChanges.aspx
Please note: Washington Adventist University will not offset lost Maryland Grant award funds due to proration.
Scholarships from Other States
Most states have scholarship programs, but not every state allows awards to be transferred for use in other states.
Contact state grant program officials for additional information.
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