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University System of Maryland Scholarships

For Maryland Community College Transfer Students

The 2025-2026 Application is Open!

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Purpose

The University System of Maryland (USM) Regents Scholarships are the most prestigious scholarships awarded by the USM. These full scholarships for Maryland residents who are graduates of Maryland community colleges cover the cost of tuition and required fees, a room and meal plan (or the institution's calculated off-campus housing and food costs), and a $1,000 annual stipend for educational expenses such as books or computing equipment. They may be used at any USM institution that awards undergraduate degrees. Some are restricted for those who have demonstrated financial need, but all require a very high GPA and other evidence of excellence. They can be renewed to cover four semesters if eligibility is maintained, including a 3.2 at GPA at the four-year institution.

The USM also offers some partial scholarships that provide funding that can be used to address expenses that are part of the cost of attendance at a four-year USM institution. These partial scholarships range from $2,000 - $4,000 per academic year and are renewable for two years.

Eligibility

Students applying for the USM Scholarships for Maryland Community College Transfer Students must:

Be a Maryland resident.
Be a Maryland community college graduate or have earned at least 56 credits toward an associate degree.
Have an excellent community college grade point average (GPA should be close to a 4.0 to be competitive for Regents Scholarships).

**Please note that some awards require demonstrated financial need.

How to Apply

Use the single application to apply for the USM scholarships by July 1st. If you are not awarded one of the highly competitive Regents Scholarships, your application will be considered for one of the other scholarship programs offered.

Submit the completed application with all required documentation:

A nomination letter from the community college president. Students may self-nominate; however, if they do so, their application must still go through the college's scholarship/transfer coordinator.
Personal statement of the student's educational career goals.
Official copy of the community college transcript. You may send one electronically to the USM Office (FICE Code 007959), electronically using transcript/document delivery, or mailed in a sealed envelope directly from the community college. Please remember to also send an unofficial copy of your final grades.
Unofficial transcript copies from all other colleges and universities attended.
Optional: Evidence of the student's scholarly and creative activities - limit of two items (can include scanned copies of artwork, photos, creative projects, research papers, published material, honors awards, etc.).

Frequently Asked Questions

Are students who have already transferred from a community college to a USM institution eligible to apply for these scholarship awards?

No. Students who are already enrolled at USM Institution are not eligible. The USM Regents Transfer Scholarships and USM partial scholarships for transfer students have been designated to provide scholarships to Maryland community college students, who are planning to transfer to a USM institution after graduation from a community college or after completing at least 56 credits toward a Maryland community college degree.