WHAT IS THE FAFSA?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form you need to fill out to get any financial aid from the federal government to help pay for college. Each year, over 13 million students who file the FAFSA get more than $120 billion in grants, work-study, and low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Education. The FAFSA asks for information about you and your family’s finances, including tax returns, so you’ll need your parents’ help to complete it. The FAFSA is free—you don’t need to pay anyone to prepare it for you.

CREATE YOUR FSA ID (everyone in the family who will be reported on the FAFSA must have one)

Once you have submitted a completed FAFSA application, you and your family's financial information will be forwarded to the colleges you listed in your FAFSA as well as Maryland Higher Education Commission to determine state aid eligibility and how much aid you will be awarded. Your financial eligibility will determine whether you qualify for scholarships, grants, loans and/or work-study programs.

WHO SHOULD COMPLETE THE FAFSA?

Anyone planning on going to college in the next academic year should submit the FAFSA. Your family doesn’t have to have a low income to qualify for assistance. Even if your family makes $200,000 a year, you could be eligible for aid. You automatically qualify for a low-interest federal loan when you submit a FAFSA. These loans are less expensive to pay back than many private student loans. Many work study programs require the FAFSA. Some merit-based scholarships require the FAFSA to help them determine scholarship amounts.

HOW TO FILL OUT THE FAFSA

There are three ways to complete and submit your FAFSA:

• Online at studentaid.gov

• By printing and filling out a FAFSA form and mailing it to the address on the form

Maryland State Financial Aid – MHEC/MDCAPS for Eligible Students

The Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) recieves FAFSA or MSFAA information from Maryland applicants who list at least one Maryland institution on their application. Students who meet the required criteria will have their FAFSA imported into the Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS). Students identified as potentially eligible for the Guaranteed Access Grant or Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship, will be notified by email based on the contact information reported on their FAFSA or MSFAA. OSFA will request the student to submit all required documentation needed to complete the verification process and confirm the students eligibility. 

CLICK HERE FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO CREATE YOUR MDCAPS ACCOUNT

For more information, please see the following links:

• • Howard P. Rawlings Guaranteed Access (GA) Grant

  • Community College Promise Scholarship

  • MHEC newsletter

The following grants and scholarships are based on your MHEC eligibility:

NEED-BASED GRANTS

• • Howard P. Rawlings Guaranteed Access (GA) Grant

• Howard P. Rawlings Educational Assistance (EA) Grant​

• Part-Time Grant

• Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program

LEGISLATIVE SCHOLARSHIPS

• • Delegate Scholarship

  • Senatorial Scholarship

CAREER-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS

• • Charles W. Riley Fire and Emergency Medical Services Tuition Reimbursement Program

  • Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program (LARP)

  • John R. Justice Grant Program

  • Maryland Dent-Care Loan Assistance Repayment Program (MDC-LARP)

  • Nurse Support Program II - Graduate Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Living Expenses Grant

  • Tuition Reduction for Non-Resident Nursing Students

  • Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant Program

Maryland State Financial Aid – MSFAA and aid for Undocumented Residents and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

For undocumented residents: The Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) is now open for you to register for financial aid for college. Undocumented students are school-age immigrants who live in the United States after entering the country without inspection or after overstaying their visas. They face unique challenges in accessing and paying for higher education. Across the country, these students and their allies are working to increase their opportunities to attend college.

The MSFAA is the required application for the following state financial aid programs:

• • Educational Assistance Grant

  • Guaranteed Access Grant

  • Campus-Based Educational Assistance Grant

  • Part-Time Grant

  • Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship

  • Richard W. Collins III Leadership with Honor Scholarship

Undocumented students may also apply for the Cybersecurity Public Service Scholarship Program by completing that specific application, but the MSFAA is not required as part of the application. It is important to note that most scholarship and grant programs have additional requirements and/or steps to apply.

For Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: The Maryland Tuition Waiver for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth is available to unaccompanied homeless youth who are enrolled as a candidate for an Associate's or Bachelor’s degree or a vocational certificate at a Maryland public institution of higher education. The purpose of the Tuition Waiver for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth is to provide financial assistance to unaccompanied homeless youth. CLICK HERE for full information.

IMMIGRANTS RISING

Please CLICK HERE for a list of scholarships that do not require proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency.

Maryland State-Specific Programs

The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) at the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) has started to import the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Maryland State Financial Aid (MSFAA) applications.

Therefore, students who meet the income requirements in either the Guaranteed Access (GA) Grant or the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship (Promise) will begin to receive a notification from MHEC notifying them that they may be eligible for the program contingent upon submission of all required documentation. It is important to note that there is no separate application for either the GA or Promise program. Students are identified as potentially eligible for either program based on the family's income as reported on the FAFSA or MSFAA.

All general questions concerning the Guaranteed Access or Promise programs should be emailed to MHEC at osfamail.mhec@maryland.gov.

What is a Scholarship?

Scholarships are gifts. They don't need to be repaid. There are thousands of them, offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups, and professional and social organizations.

What kinds of scholarships are available?

Some scholarships for college are merit-based. You earn them by meeting or exceeding certain standards set by the scholarship-giver. Merit scholarships might be awarded based on academic achievement or on a combination of academics and a special talent, trait, or interest. Other scholarships are based on financial need.

Many scholarships are geared toward particular groups of people; for instance, there are scholarships for women or graduate students. And some are available because of where you or your parent work, or because you come from a certain background (for instance, there are scholarships for military families).

A scholarship might cover the entire cost of your tuition, or it might be a one-time award of a few hundred dollars. Either way, it’s worth applying for, because it’ll help reduce the cost of your education.

Where Can I Find Scholarships?

• • CAPPEX is a search device that includes more than 3,000 colleges, videos, and scholarship opportunities. Essay writing tips, timelines, worksheets, etc., are included.

  • Big Future by College Board helps you find scholarships, other financial aid and internships from over 2200 programs totaling nearly $6 billion.

  • Fastweb is a personalized scholarship search on the web that compares your background with a database of awards. Only those awards that fit your profile are identified as matches and emailed to you.

  • FinAid helps you find financial aid information and several scholarship databases, as well as individual scholarships for students pursuing specific activities or courses of study

  • Going Merry makes it simple to find and apply for scholarships, just like the Common App has done for college applications!

  • Guaranteed Scholarships includes more than 700 scholarships guaranteed by nearly 200 colleges and universities.

  • Niche includes lists of scholarships by state, major, and type. Search college scholarships by deadline and difficulty.

  • Peterson's includes 5000 scholarship providers, $10 billion in scholarship awards

  • Raise.Me partners with colleges and universities to offer scholarships to students as early as 9th grade.

  • Scholarships.com is a comprehensive source of local & national scholarships. Search free, avoid scams and find money for college.

  • UNIGO is a free scholarship directory, over $4 billion posted opportunities for high school students.

Some colleges and scholarship programs require that students complete the College Scholarship Service Financial Aid Profile to be considered for non-federal student aid. Seniors should check their schools of interest to see if they require the CSS Profile. You can start working on your CSS Profile by registering online. The fees for the CSS Profile are listed on the College Board website.

Learn more about completing the CSS Profile as a parent and creating an account as a divorced, separated, or noncustodial parent.

CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF SCHOOLS THAT REQUIRE THE CSS PROFILE