Financial Aid
FAFSA Student and Family Social Media Blurb.pdfFAFSA Workshop flyer 2024 - 5-13- QR[24] (2).pdf2023 Financial Aid Presentation
from Robert Maddox at St. Mary's College of Maryland
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 annually. 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.
Most students receive some type of financial aid, so everyone should fill out a FAFSA application even if you don't think you qualify. The purpose of the FAFSA is also to determine aid you won't have to pay back, like college scholarships, grants, and even work-study funding.
There are some colleges will not offer merit scholarships if you have not filed your FAFSA.
Merit-based aid is money given to students with special talents, skills or academic abilities
Need-based aid is available to those students who demonstrate financial need
The College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile)
The CSS Profile, which stands for College Scholarship Service Profile, is a form administered by the College Board, in order 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
Maryland College and Processing System- Money for Maryland Colleges (MD CAPS)
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.
MSFAA The Maryland State Financial Aid Application is available online to applicants who are ineligible to receive federal aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The MSFAA allows qualified children of undocumented immigrants, who qualify for in-state tuition under §15–106.8 of the MD Education Article, to apply and be considered for certain types of State need-based financial aid
Understanding the FAFSA- The How-to Guide for high school students and the parents that help them.
- Undocumented Student - This MCPS information page provides resources for undocumented high school students, both with and without DACA, to help families make informed decisions about their futures and acquire the tools they need to advocate for themselves at the high school and college levels.
Additional FAFSA Resources
Form Your Future: How To Fill Out Your FAFSA - A Resource Guide