Financial Aid
Federal financial aid can come in the form of grants, federal work-study jobs, and/or student loans.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Opens December 1st. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is administered by the Office of Federal Student Aid. Completing this form is absolutely critical, as it is the only way to qualify for federal financial assistance of any type, and you must have submitted it in order to apply for many scholarships! To apply, visit fafsa.gov. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUis5lityCQ
2023-2024 Maximum Pell Grant Award: $7,395
The College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile)
The CSS (College Scholarship Service) Profile is a form administered by the College Board to facilitate applications for non-federal financial aid. This document is required by almost 300 private colleges and scholarship programs and is used to collect wealth-related information (assets, trust funds, etc.) that is not collected by the FAFSA. To access and complete the CSS Profile, please visit the College Board website.
The Maryland College Aid Processing System (MD CAPS)
MDCAPS is a comprehensive financial aid system that allows us to process State of Maryland scholarship applications and allocate funds more efficiently using today's technology. To use MDCAPS, you must first create a student login profile. The profile creation process will request an email address. An activation link will be sent to the email address provided. To get started with a profile, click the MDCAPS logo or use this link, https://mdcaps.mhec.state.md.us. Next, click "Create a Student Login" located below the yellow [Login] button.
Important Links
FSA ID- An FSA ID is a username and password that you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. Your FSA ID identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on ED websites such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA®) site at fafsa.gov. (The username and password you use on federal student aid websites.) https://youtube.com/watch?v=RcDs0ugsZzI
MD Financial Aid Assistance & Applications- The State has an extensive array of financial aid programs in the form of grants, scholarships and other awards for students who want to further their education beyond high school.
FEE WAIVERS
Many colleges offer application fee waivers for those with financial difficulties. Contact your prospective colleges prior to applying to find out their criteria/procedures.