Maryland Community College Promise Scholarships

Promise Scholarship illustration

You may be able to attend CSM with up to $5,000 annually in scholarship support through the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship.

You can view detailed information on the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) website, but here are the key points:

This “last dollar” scholarship will cover tuition and mandatory fees after other financial aid (grants and scholarships) is calculated.
The maximum annual award will be $5,000 per year per recipient, or the actual tuition, whichever is less.

Requirements for Applicants:

Be a graduate of a Maryland high school or Maryland GED recipient
Be eligible for in-state tuition, as determined by the community college
Meet GPA requirements:
- High school applicants: Have earned an unweighted cumulative GPA of at least a 2.3 or its equivalent: at the end of the first semester of their senior year in high school; or at the end of their senior year in high school.
- Applicants currently or previously enrolled in a community college: Have a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.5 from the community college; or a high school unweighted cumulative GPA of at least a 2.3 or its equivalent at the end of the first semester or end of their senior year in high school.
Enroll full-time (12 credit per-semester minimum) for a credit certificate or an associate degree OR enroll in a sequence of credit or non-credit courses that leads to licensure or certification or a registered apprenticeship program
Have an annual income of not more than:
- $100,000 if the applicant is single or resides in a single-parent household
- $150,000 if the applicant is married or resides in a two-parent household

Must complete at least 12 credits per semester.
Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA at CSM.
Must complete FAFSA each year.
May receive the award for a maximum of three years or until they are awarded an associate degree.

We are excited to have the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship as another way of helping families like yours afford college.

You should submit your FAFSA annually by the March 1 priority dealine and use CSM's federal school code (002064).

To be eligible for the Promise Scholarship, you must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) online. The MSFAA is now available for any applicant who is ineligible to receive federal aid but is eligible for in-state tuition.

Applicants that completed and listed a community college on their FAFSA or MSFAA by March 1 will be notified by MHEC via email of their potential eligibility for the Promise Scholarship. Applicants must submit all of the required documentation to MHEC for further consideration of the Promise Scholarship. Applicants can also login to their MDCAPS and check their “To Do List” for a complete listing of all required documentation. If you have questions, please contact MHEC at osfamail.mhec@maryland.gov.
Submit all documentation to MHEC, if required, by deadline provided by MHEC. Documentation received after that date will not be accepted.
Applicants must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credits) annually by August 15 to be eligible.

Students must complete the FAFSA application annually by the March 1 priority deadline, and include the CSM school code (002064).
Students must submit all documentation, if required, to MHEC by the deadline provided in the notification.
Students must complete the FAFSA annually and may hold the award for three years after enrolling, with priority given to recipients who remain eligible.
Students must be enrolled continuously and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

If you have specific questions to the Promise Scholarship, please email the financial aid office at promise@csmd.edu.