Maryland Financial Aid: State Grants, Scholarships and Free College Programs

Start with the FAFSA or MHEC One-App

Maryland funds its state financial aid programs through the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), and most of them run off the same application you already file for federal aid. Submit your FAFSA , or the MHEC One-App if you do not have a Social Security number, by March 1 to be considered for the 2026-2027 award year, according to MHEC program pages . The state processes results through the Maryland College Aid Processing System, MDCAPS, and most programs need no separate application beyond that.

Guaranteed Access Grant

The Guaranteed Access Grant is Maryland's largest need-based award, paying up to 18,000 dollars for the 2026-2027 academic year. First-time applicants qualify with family income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty guideline, about 40,560 dollars for a family of four. Renewal recipients qualify at a higher 150 percent threshold, or by remaining Pell Grant eligible. You must be under 26 at your first award, have completed high school or a GED within six years, enroll full-time in an undergraduate program, and not already hold a bachelor's degree. Submit your FAFSA or MHEC One-App by March 1, 2026.

Educational Assistance Grant

The Educational Assistance Grant pays between 400 and 3,000 dollars a year, renewable for up to four years, for Maryland residents with financial need attending a Maryland institution at least half time. There is no separate application. MDCAPS automatically considers every FAFSA or MHEC One-App filer who meets the basic eligibility rules by the March 1, 2026 deadline, though some students need to submit follow-up documentation by August 1, 2026, according to MHEC's program page . A related Campus-Based Educational Assistance Grant exists for students who miss the March 1 deadline but still show need.

Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship

This last-dollar scholarship covers remaining tuition and mandatory fees, up to 5,000 dollars, after your other federal and state aid has been applied, at any Maryland community college. For the 2025-2026 cycle, high school seniors needed a 2.3 unweighted GPA by the end of senior year, and current community college students needed a 2.5 GPA, plus household income at or below 100,000 dollars for a single parent or 150,000 dollars for a married household, based on 2023 tax figures, according to MHEC's Promise Scholarship page . The deadline ran to April 1. Check that same page for the exact 2026-2027 figures once the state publishes them, since income caps and GPA thresholds get updated each cycle.

Transfer and graduate aid

The 2+2 Transfer Scholarship supports Maryland community college students who transfer into a four-year Maryland institution to finish a bachelor's degree. The Graduate & Professional Scholarship Program extends state aid to students pursuing a graduate or professional degree at a Maryland institution. A Part-Time Grant covers degree-seeking undergraduates, including dual-enrolled high school students, who do not carry a full course load.

Delegate and Senatorial Scholarships

Every Maryland state senator and delegate controls a small scholarship fund for constituents in their district. These legislative scholarships work outside the FAFSA-based programs. Contact your own state senator's or delegate's office directly to ask about their application process and deadline, since each office runs its own selection.

Career-specific and special population grants

Maryland funds a set of smaller grants tied to specific career paths and populations, including the Maryland Police Officer Scholarship, Teaching Fellows for Maryland Scholarship, Charles W. Riley Firefighter & Ambulance & Rescue Squad Member Scholarship, Cybersecurity Public Service Scholarship Program, Workforce Development Sequence Scholarship, and a Tuition Reduction for Non-Resident Nursing Students. A separate group of memorial scholarships targets veterans, families of fallen public safety and transportation workers, and other specific groups, including the Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship and the Douglas J.J. Peters Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship. Full eligibility rules for each sit on the MHEC financial aid program list .

Saving ahead: Maryland Prepaid College Trust

For families planning years in advance, the state-sponsored Maryland Prepaid College Trust lets you lock in future tuition at today's rates through a 529 plan. It works alongside the grant and scholarship programs above rather than replacing them.