Merit-Based Financial Assistance

0115 Mitchell Building
Phone: 301-314-TERP (8377)
Fax: 1-301-405-9265
sfa-scholarships@umd.edu
http://financialaid.umd.edu

Freshmen Merit Scholarships

Freshman merit scholarships are offered to the University of Maryland’s (UMD) most academically talented incoming students. These competitive awards, offered by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, are based on past academic performance and potential to excel at the university, not financial need.

Freshman applicants who submit their admission application and all required materials by the November 1 early action deadline are automatically considered for freshman merit scholarships. No additional application is necessary.

Banneker/Key Scholarship

UMD seeks to identify and select some of the brightest high school seniors to continue their education as Banneker/Key Scholars. There are two award levels for Banneker Key Scholarships: full and partial.

Full: Covers tuition, mandatory fees, standard on-campus housing and food plan, and book costs support each year for eight consecutive undergraduate semesters.
Partial: Provides a partial tuition scholarship and book costs support each year for eight consecutive undergraduate semesters.

Scholarship recipients are also admitted to the Honors College. To be considered for the Banneker/Key Scholarship, students must submit a completed admission application and all required application materials by the November 1 early action deadline. Selected semifinalists are invited to an interview conducted by the Banneker/Key Selection Committee. Factors such as a candidate's involvement in community service, talents or skills, leadership and character all play a part in the final awards. Learn more by visiting the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Freshman Merit Scholarships page.

President's Scholarship

This award provides talented prospective freshmen with scholarship support for eight consecutive undergraduate semesters. Awards ranging from $2,000 to $12,500 per year are offered to incoming freshmen. Students are selected through the admission process with primary consideration given to academic achievement, extracurricular activities, awards, honors, recommendations and the essay. For full consideration, students must submit a completed application for admission and all required application materials by the November 1 early action deadline. Learn more by visiting the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Freshman Merit Scholarships page.

Dean's Scholarship

This award provides talented prospective freshmen with scholarship support for two to four consecutive undergraduate semesters. Awards range from $1,500 for freshman year or $4,500 per year for freshmen and sophomore years. To be considered, students must submit a completed admission application and all required application materials by the November 1 early action deadline. Learn more by visiting the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Freshman Merit Scholarships page.

Transfer Merit Scholarships

Transfer merit scholarships are offered to UMD’s most academically talented incoming students. These competitive awards, offered by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, are based on past academic performance and potential to excel at the university, not financial need.

Transfer applicants who submit their completed admission application and all required materials by the March 1 early action deadline for fall admission are automatically considered for some transfer merit scholarships, while other scholarships require a separate application.

Frederick Douglass Scholarship

The Frederick Douglass Scholarship is a prestigious UMD award for academically talented transfer students from a Maryland community college. The award covers in-state tuition for four consecutive undergraduate semesters. To be eligible, students must have completed a minimum of 56 credits (or have an associate degree) and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Students who have previously attended UMD are ineligible for this scholarship. To apply for the Frederick Douglass Scholarship, candidates must submit a completed admission application with all required application materials, as well as the scholarship application by March 1.

President's Transfer Scholarship

The President's Transfer Scholarship is a two-year, $5,000 per year scholarship for transfer students. The scholarship will be awarded to the most competitive transfer students with excellent academic records and college grade point averages. No separate application is required for consideration. Recipients are identified through the evaluation of admission application materials. Students awarded the scholarship will receive notification a few weeks after receiving their admission decision letter. Learn more by visiting the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Transfer Merit Scholarships page.

Maryland Transfer Scholarship

The Maryland Transfer Scholarship provides partial-tuition awards ranging from $5,000 distributed equally over two semesters to $10,000 distributed equally over four consecutive semesters. To be eligible, students must be Maryland residents transferring to the University of Maryland from a two-year or four-year institution, have applied for admission by the early action deadline and submitted the FAFSA by the priority deadline of January 1. No separate application is required for consideration. Recipients are identified through the evaluation of admission application materials. Students awarded the scholarship will receive notification a few weeks after receiving their admission decision letter. Learn more by visiting the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Transfer Merit Scholarships page.

Additional Scholarships

Creative and Performing Arts Scholarships

These are competitive scholarships that are awarded annually. Primary consideration will be given to incoming freshmen and transfer students from community colleges with outstanding talent in art, dance, music or theater. The scholarships cover in-state tuition and mandatory fees and are renewable for up to three years based upon an acceptable level of performance as defined by the respective departments. Additional application materials and information about required auditions are available directly from the College of Arts & Humanities page.

Maryland State Scholarships

The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) awards both need-based and merit-based scholarships to Maryland residents. There are many different programs available, including the Guaranteed Access (GA) Grant, Educational Assistance (EA) Grant and Legislative Scholarships (Delegate and Senatorial). All Maryland residents are encouraged to apply for State scholarship assistance. Learn more about these and other programs by visiting the MHEC website.

Filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually by the January 1 deadline is sufficient to apply for most Maryland State Scholarships at UMD, although some may require additional application forms. The application deadline for most programs is March 1. The FAFSA is available online at the Federal Student Aid website.

Scholarships from Other States

Several states have reciprocal agreements with the state of Maryland. Students who are residents of these states may receive funds for study in eligible post-secondary institutions in Maryland. Interested students should contact their state scholarship agencies for information.

Outside Scholarship Searches

There is a broad range of scholarships available from private sources, though they are not publicized as well as state and university programs. We strongly encourage students to conduct their own scholarship search. Fortunately, newly admitted and current UMD students can take advantage of UMD's scholarship matching platform, Scholarship Universe, to find and apply for scholarship opportunities.

University of Maryland Departmental Scholarships

Many of the academic departments at UMD offer merit-based scholarships. Some departmental scholarships can be applied to using Scholarship Universe. For others, students may need to directly contact the office or department responsible for selecting recipients to receive additional details. For more information, please visit the Departmental Scholarships section of the catalog.