The Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship
The Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship is a statewide scholarship program for students who currently attend or plan to attend one of Marylands community colleges. This scholarship program is administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission . Please refer to its website for the most up-to-date information.
Which States Have A Free Community College
- Which States Have a Free Community College?
Community college is often a great choice financially for students to gain valuable higher education at little cost to them, especially if they live in a state offering community college tuition-free. This article discusses which states have free community college programs and what the requirements are for each.
New York Excelsior Scholarship
The Excelsior Scholarship covers tuition up to $5,500 for students attending a two-year or four-year undergraduate-degree-granting school in the State University of New York system or the City University of New York system .
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must have either graduated from a high school, earned a high school equivalency diploma, or passed a federally approved Ability-to-Benefit test.
It is available to students with an adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less, and the applicant must be a US citizen and a resident of New York for the last one year prior to the beginning of the term.
The student has to enroll in at least 12 credits per term, complete at least 30 credits each year, and has to reside in the state for the length of the time the award was received.
This program is one of the most flexible options on the list. It covers up to three years of college tuition for students enrolled in any of the four community colleges in the state.
Eligibility Criteria
Theres no minimum GPA or SAT score to receive the scholarship. However, students must complete 20 hours of community service.
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Is Free Community College Really Free
When community college is described as free, it generally means there are no tuition costs to take courses. However, you should be mindful of the additional costs associated with attendance, including transportation costs, living expenses, textbooks, and supplies.
Sometimes, additional expenses might be covered as well, either as part of the free package or as part of your financial aid In some states, free community college is limited to low-income students, while in others, it is available to everyone. Some states offer this free funding for four-year college students as well.
Many of the free programs require you to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and accept any associated grants before they will cover the rest of the tuition. This is often referred to as a last dollar program because it funds the rest of your college tuition after you have already covered part of it with grants. Exact requirements for each state vary, as described in the next section.
Pays Tuition For Eligible Students
NEW: CC Promise program requirements were revised in 2020. There were 2 key changes of interest to students and families:
The CCPromise program:
- Is a need-based grant for eligible middle-income students, funded by the State of Maryland.
- Can pay tuition and mandatory fees from $200 $5000/year, based on remaining unmet need after other financial aid is applied.
- Is not available to all community college students. Eligibility requirements are listed below.
- Is a relatively new program thats recently expanded to include noncredit programs. Students who want to use the CCPromise to cover tuition for a noncredit program must still meet the application March 1 deadline . They should contact their community college at the earliest opp for further details on how to use the CCPromisefor their noncredit programs.
If you find that youre not eligible for the Community College Promise program, remember there are many other financial aid programs that may help you to attend community college. By submitting your FAFSA/MSFAA you apply for almost all of those financial aid options.
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Baltimore City Community College Is Offering Free Tuition For Eligible Students
By combining federal financial aid, the State of Marylands Promise Scholarship, City of Baltimore support, scholarship opportunities and CARES Act funding, Baltimore City Community College announced it will offer free tuition to eligible students entering or returning for the upcoming fall semester.
Boasting the lowest in-state tuition in Maryland, BCCC is removing a major barrier for students and is poised to meet diverse financial needs, states a BCCC press release. Not only will the cost of college be managed in a way to lessen financial burdens, BCCC is offering both virtual and online web classes to accommodate a safe learning environment.
Additionally, the school is taking advantage of Marylands One Step Away grant, which helps institutions re-engage, re-enroll and graduate students who had dropped out of college before completing their degree.
We know the COVID-19 pandemic has placed unusual financial strain on many Maryland college students and their families, said Dr. Debra L. McCurdy, president of BCCC. With online classes becoming the new norm, BCCCs tuition options can reach even more students seeking to save money.
Which States Have Free Community College
There are 20 US states that provide tuition-free community programs for eligible students. These are Arkansas, Boston, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Seattle, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.
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Best Community Colleges In Maryland
Explore the top community colleges in your area based on key statistics and student reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education. List includes public junior colleges, public technical schools, and all other public 2-year colleges. This year’s rankings have reduced the weight of ACT/SAT scores to reflect a general de-emphasis on test scores in the college admissions process. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.
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Baltimore County College Promise Scholarship
Fall 2021 & Spring 2022
- Be a Baltimore County resident.
- If dependent, parent must be a legal resident of Maryland.
documented disabilitygraduation
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How To Renew Your Scholarship:
- Students must complete 2021-2022 FAFSA application by March 1, 2021, and include the CSM school code .
- Students must submit all documentation, if required, to MHEC by June 30, 2021.
- 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 e-mail the financial aid office at .
States Which Offer Tuition
The Arkansas Future Grant is a last-dollar grant that is available to students pursuing a two-year program in science, technology, engineering, and math fields or a regional high demand area of study.
Eligibility Criteria
Students who have graduated from an Arkansas public school or received a recognized high school equivalency diploma, and have lived in the state for three consecutive years are eligible to apply for the program.
Apart from that, a recipient must complete eight hours of community service per semester and must work full-time for three consecutive years in the state following graduation.
Unlike most of the programs in this list, California Promise is a first-dollar program, which means it provides tuition waivers to students, regardless of additional funding or grants the students are eligible for.
Eligibility Criteria
As one of the best examples of free community college on this list, state resident students planning to attend or attending a two-year or four-year degree can apply.
Only full-time students are eligible, which means students must complete 30-semester units within each academic year.
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Community College Is Now Free In Maryland
Jessica Gregg January 28, 2019
This month, community college is now free in the state of Maryland for qualifying families, thanks to a law passed last year by the Maryland General Assembly.
In case you missed it: Qualifying residents receive up to $5,000 in annual scholarship money. Those who qualify are students whose families earn less than $150,000 a year and or less than $100,000 in a single-parent household.
The Community College of Baltimore County has been gearing up for this big change, says president Sandra Kurtinitis.
Already in place at CCBC is the Baltimore County College Promise program, which covered tuition and mandatory fees for eligible students after they had applied for all other financial aid, such as Pell grants or state aid. The new law expands scholarship eligibility to a greater number of students.
Thats going to be able to help many more of our families, Kurtinitis says. There isnt a huge upsurge in enrollment for next year yet, because I think not even a lot of people know about the Maryland College promise programs at this point. However, if it produces such enrollment growth, we would certainly want to hire more people. Right now, were well positioned to handle our students.
Kurtinitis says these programs would help families who otherwise might not be able to send their children to college full time, even at the affordable tuition of the community colleges.
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He most recently served as senior vice president of advancement and community engagement at Montgomery College in Rockville, Md., where he was also responsible for the Montgomery College Foundation and had co-leadership responsibilities for the Pinkney Innovation Complex at Montgomery College Foundation.
At Montgomery College, he planned and implemented two comprehensive fundraising campaigns, including the college’s largest campaign ever of $30 million, and helped to secure several of the largest gifts to the college.
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Democrats Vision For Free Community College Would Boost Undocumented Students
The massive economic policy package Democrats are trying to muscle through Congress could open the door to free community college for undocumented immigrants.
But that lifeline for many people now denied access to higher education could also reignite controversies in Republican-leaning states over immigration and federal overreach.
The provision on immigrants was included in a plan drafted by House Democrats to provide two years of tuition-free community college for students. The proposal calls for the federal government to dole out $111 billion to states from 2023 to 2028. The states would use that money to cover tuition for community college students.
To receive the money, though, states could not deny the tuition-free benefits based on citizenship, alienage, or immigration status.
That would run afoul of current laws in several states though not in Maryland.
Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina prohibit unauthorized immigrants from enrolling in at least some of their public universities and colleges.
Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin bar undocumented students from receiving in-state tuition. Other states impose other restrictions on tuition benefits for undocumented students.
But now theres a new program being considered for free community college tuition, and the administration is recognizing from the very start of this program that there should not be arbitrary barriers set up against undocumented students, she said.
Community College Promise Program
Starting in the fall of academic year 2019-2020, eligible students can attend community college tuition-free. Maryland has earmarked $15 million per year to help low- and middle-income students attend community college full-time. The Promise program is open to students in both academic as well as credit and non-credit career training courses.
Regulations have been developed by . Please visit MHECs website for more information on .
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Promise Programs At Maryland Community Colleges
The community colleges listed below offer locally-supported promise programs. These college programs typically require: minimum county residency terms minimum GPA attainment and a last dollar funding approach, meaning students must exhaust both federal and state funds before the college promise funds are available. Click the links below for program-specific information.
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These States Offer Tuition
With student loan debt consistently reaching new all-time highs nationwide, it makes perfect sense for families to stop and think before they follow the traditional four-year college path. Not only should they look at the long-term costs of attending a four-year public or private school, but they should also think about the return-on-investment theyre likely to receive. In other words, is the college degree their young adult wants to pursue going to pay off in dollars and cents?
In some cases, it can even make sense to forgo four-year schools and head to community college instead. After all, community colleges offer work training programs and associate degrees that lead to high-paying degrees over a shorter timeline, and community college is considerably less expensive overall.
How much can you expect to pay? According to College Board figures, average tuition and fees worked out to $3,370 for two-year public schools for the 2019-2020 school year, whereas average four-year public schools rang in at $10,440 for in-state students.
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Which States Offer Tuition-Free Community College?
Interestingly, some states have programs that make community college tuition-free for qualifying students. Eligibility typically depends on the students ability to prove financial need, as well as a strong academic performance.
The states that have programs that make community college free are mentioned below:
Arkansas Future Grant
California Promise
Delaware
Hawaii Promise Scholarship
Virginia Get Skilled Get A Job Give Back
This Virginian initiative makes community colleges tuition-free for low and middle-income students pursuing degrees in high-demand fields, such as health care, information technology, and computer science.
Students who qualify for a Pell Grant can receive student-support incentive grants amounting to $900 per semester and $450 per summer term.
Eligibility Criteria
Initial eligibility for the program will be determined through the submission of federal and state student financial aid applications, including FAFSA. Each participating institution will have more specific information on how to apply for the program.
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Indiana 21st Century Scholars Program
This is a unique program that offers up to four years of tuition to the states residents with a requirement that they have to commit to the program in 7th or 8th grade.
It also requires the applicants to have good academic performance throughout their high school, and good behavior that is free of drug use and other illegal acts.
Eligibility Criteria
Students must enroll in 7th or 8th grade, earn an overall high school GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, complete the Scholar Success Program, and earn Indianas Core 40 Diploma, and complete at least 30 credit hours each year in college.
An income threshold levelalso applies to be eligible for the program.
The Work First Kentucky Scholars Program provides free community college tuition to students in Kentucky who pursue degrees in an in-demand workforce sector, including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, transportation/logistics, business services/IT, and construction.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply for this program, the student must be a US citizen and a resident of Kentucky.
They should be a high school graduate or be enrolled in or have completed a General Educational Development Program but have not attained an associate degree. A student must apply or be accepted at an eligible institution approved by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority.
Hawaii Hawaii Promise Scholarship
The Hawaii Promise Scholarship covers the tuition fees of students who are enrolled in at least six credits at a University of Hawaii Community College. This is a last-dollar program, meaning it covers financial needs not met by other forms of financial aids. It covers tuition, fees, books, supplies, and transportation for eligible students. Around 1,500 students received the scholarship in 2017-18, receiving an average of $1,200 each.
Eligibility Criteria
Residents of Hawaii who have submitted their Free Application for Federal Student Aid application can apply.
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