Save Money on Maryland Tuition

Updated: Feb 8, 2023

Get Maryland In-State Tuition

One of the more affordable ways to get a bachelor’s degree typically is to attend an in-State public school. Here is a website that answers questions about how to qualify as a Maryland resident: https://www.usmd.edu/usm/faqs/ResFAQ.html. While in-State tuition for a public institution is not financial aid, it is subsidized. The cost of attending an in-State public institution should be compared against the cost of other institutions after financial aid awards are offered. Families often do not pay the sticker price.

Maryland Need-Based Grants

Guaranteed Access Grant

The Guaranteed Access (GA) Grant provides need-based financial aid. The grant helps meet 100 percent of a student’s financial need up to $20,000.

Information about the program can be found at: https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/ProgramDescriptions/prog_gagrant.aspx. To apply, students complete either

· the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA® or

· the Maryland State Financial Aid Application

by March 1 to apply for a grant under this program. To qualify for a grant, an applicant must:

· be a high school senior completing a college prep curriculum,

· have a 2.5 GPA, and

· demonstrate need by having a low income.

Educational Assistance Grant

The Educational Assistance (EA) Grant is another need-based grant program. Information about it can be found here: https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/ProgramDescriptions/prog_ea.aspx. Students receive up $3,000 annually under the EA grant program. In-State students who are either high school seniors or current college students are eligible for these awards to meet unmet financial need to attend college (including living expenses). As is the case with the GA Program, students complete either

· the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA® or

· the Maryland State Financial Aid Application

by March 1 to apply for a grant under this program. Students who have received the award for at least two years must complete:

· 30 credits annually to have their awards renewed for the full amount or

· 24-29 credits to have their awards renewed for a prorated amount.

Campus-Based Educational Assistance Grant

The Campus-Based Educational Assistance Grant (CBEAG) program is a need-based financial aid program to assist students who miss the March 1st deadline for GA or EA grants. For more information, please see: https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/ProgramDescriptions/prog_cbeag.aspx. Students receive up $3,000 annually under the CBEAG program. In-State students are eligible for these awards to attend college on a full-time basis. Maryland encourages CBEAG recipients to meet the March 1st deadline in future years to qualify for need-based aid.

Other Need-Based Grants

Other need-based programs are narrowly targeted to certain groups of students, are included on this website: https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/descriptions.aspx. These targeted programs serve students who are dually enrolled, part-time, in community colleges, in graduate or professional programs, in foster care, homeless, or disabled. While individual institutions may provide additional need-based aid, the aid tends to fall short of meeting full need.

Maryland Merit-Based Financial Aid

Maryland does not have the large merit-based financial aid programs one finds in Georgia (Hope Scholarships) or Florida (Bright Futures). Members of the Maryland House and Senate award grants that may be as large as around $28,000 depending on the availability of funds. For more information, please see https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/ProgramDescriptions/prog_delegate.aspx and https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/ProgramDescriptions/prog_senatorial.aspx.

Other merit-based programs are narrowly targeted to certain groups of students, and are included on this website: https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/descriptions.aspx. These targeted programs serve students who are community college transfers, re-enrolling, near-completers, first responders or training to be first responders or other public service professionals, and veterans. In addition, individual institutions offer merit-based aid to some students.