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Greeting C.H.F. Senior Students,

I want to share some great news about a scholarship for your students. The Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship offers students up to $5,000 annually to attend a community college. The Maryland Higher Education Commission’s (MHEC) Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) administers the scholarship program.
 
The Promise Scholarship is a last-dollar award for students who enroll in one of the following programs:
vocational certificate (credit-bearing coursework); certificate; associate degree, licensure or certification (credit or non-credit courses); or a registered apprenticeship program at a Maryland community college.
 
To be eligible, high school seniors must have an unweighted 2.3 cumulative GPA.
 
The annual family adjusted gross income requirements are:

• $100,000 if the applicant is single or resides in a single-parent household; or
• $150,000 if the applicant is married or lives in a two-parent household.

 
Students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) by March 1 each year. The MSFAA is the State application for students’ ineligible for federal aid, but eligible for in-state tuition.
 
Students must attend the community college in their county. When it is a regional community college, the students attend the college in his or her region. If the community college in the students’ county or region does not offer their program of study, they may attend a community college outside of their county or region.
 
It is important to note that students who enroll in credit-bearing vocational certificates, certificates, and associate degree programs must take 12 credit hours per semester. Additionally, students who enroll in a sequence of credit or non-credit licensure and certification courses must take the next available course offered in their course sequence.
 
For the 2020-2021 academic year, students must have completed a FAFSA or MSFAA by March 1, 2020. All additional required documentation to apply for the scholarship must be submitted by July 31, 2020.
 
To learn more about this excellent scholarship opportunity for your students, please visit MHEC’s website (https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/ProgramDescriptions/prog_MDCommunityCollegePromiseScholarship.aspx). If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact OSFA at [email protected].