Maryland scholarships: Your guide to free money for college

The Max and Emmy Dreyfuss Jewish Undergraduate Scholarship will be awarded to a Jewish resident of Montgomery County, MD, Fairfax, VA, or Washington, DC. They must be a U.S. citizen or working towards citizenship. They must also be accepted into an accredited four-year undergraduate program. This scholarship cannot be used for community college or study abroad programs. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.

The Carville M. Akehurst Memorial Scholarship was established in 2002 by the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, Inc. (MANTS). This scholarship serves to memorialize Mr. Akehurst who served the horticultural industry as one of the founders of MANTS. MANTS' establishment of this scholarship is a reflection of Mr. Akehurst's firm belief that education begets one the opportunity to achieve. Through this scholarship, MANTS will provide a scholarship opportunity to qualified students to help ensure the continuity of the nursery and landscape profession. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited landscape or horticulture program or related discipline. They must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.7, and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their major. Applicants must have at least a junior standing in a four-year curriculum or senior standing in a two-year curriculum as of the fall semester of scholarship application year. Preference will be given to applicants who plan to work within the industry (including nursery operation, landscape architecture/design/construction/maintenance, interiorscape, horticultural distribution, or retail garden center) following graduation. Previous Carville M. Akehurst Memorial Scholarship award winners are eligible for additional funding and may reapply for the scholarship. Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. Recommendations may come from a student advisor, instructor, employer, or business associate and must be submitted directly from the recommender to HRI. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Horticultural Research Institute for more information.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission Senatorial Scholarship is offered to students who plan to pursue a postsecondary credential at a two-year or four-year college, university or private career school. High school seniors may apply. These scholarships are offered/awarded through the student's state delegation for their district, not through the federal delegation, which includes the student's state's U.S. Senators. Students may use this award at an out-of-state institution if the Maryland Higher Education Commission has approved the student's major as unique (a major not available at any institution in Maryland). As long as the student's award remains active, it will automatically be renewed for up to three years or until completion of the degree, whichever occurs first. If the award is used for undergraduate study, it will not be automatically renewed for graduate study. Students must reapply. Applicants must complete the FAFSA or MHEC One-App. If the student's State senator makes his/her own awards, applicants must call or write to their legislator for further instructions. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.

..The Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant (WSSAG) Program is for students who plan on working in specific career or occupational programs upon graduation. Eligible fields include child care, human services, teaching, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, social work, and public service. Both merit and need-based criteria will be used when making awards. Applicants will be ranked by Grade Point Average (GPA) and then by need within each occupational field. Those students with the greatest need within each GPA range will be awarded first. To determine a student's merit ranking, transcripts will be required. To determine the GPA ranking of students, a cumulative, unweighted GPA will be used. If necessary, GPAs will be recalculated to be considered on a standardized 4.0 scale. For students applying based on need, they may file the FAFSA for the academic year the student will be attending. The FAFSA is not required; however, it will be used to determine the order in which students will be awarded. Certain majors may require additional documentation, which will be noted on the application. Applicants must be a Maryland resident. If they are a dependent student, their parent must also be a Maryland resident. The award may be automatically renewed for up to a maximum of five years. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Maryland Higher Education Commission for more information.

The Bernard Osher Foundation Scholarship Program aims to support high-achieving adult/non-traditional students. Students must be returning to the University after a gap of 5 or more years, pursuing a Bachelor's degree, and between the ages of 25-50 years old. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.

The Crankstart Reentry Scholarship Program was established to support degree completion by adult learners. Students must be returning to the University after a gap of 5 or more years, pursuing a Bachelor's degree, and between the ages of 25-50 years old. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.

The Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program will provide student financial assistance to certain individuals due to their eligible military or public safety service or due to their eligible family or marital relationship to such an individual. Applicants must be a Maryland resident, and if they are a dependent, their parents must also be Maryland residents. Some persons are not required to be a resident of Maryland at the time of application or at the time of the disabling or fatal event. Please refer to the scholarship's website for this information. Applicants must enroll at a two-year or four-year Maryland college or university; or be enrolled in a 2-year terminal certificate program in which the coursework is acceptable for transfer credit for an accredited baccalaureate program in an eligible institution; or be enrolled in a private career school. High school seniors may apply. All majors are eligible. Disabled or killed veterans of the United States Armed Forces, including their children or stepchildren or spouses (who have not remarried); veterans who are no longer eligible for federal veteran's educational benefits; children or stepchildren or spouses of victims of the attack in the World Trade Center in New York City, the attack on the Pentagon in Virginia, or the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania; children or stepchildren of a POW/MIA of the Vietnam Conflict; disabled or killed state or local public safety employee or volunteer who died in the line of duty or who sustained an injury in the line of duty, including their children or stepchildren or spouse; and a state or local public safety employee or volunteer who became 100 percent disabled in the line of duty are all eligible to apply for the scholarship. The scholarship may be renewed on an annual basis for up to 5 years of full-time study or 8 years of part-time study. New and renewal applicants to the program must contact their higher education institution's financial aid office for application instructions. Do not submit any applications or documents to the MHEC OSFA. Please visit the scholarship's website for the full scholarship information.

The Jean B. Cryor Memorial Scholarship Program provides student financial assistance to eligible children and surviving spouses of school employees who, as a victim in an act of violence occurring in the line of duty, either died or sustained an injury that rendered the school employee 100 percent disabled. Applicants must be a Maryland resident, and if they are a dependent, their parents must also be Maryland residents. Some persons are not required to be a resident of Maryland at the time of application or at the time of the disabling or fatal event. Please refer to the scholarship's website for this information. Applicants must enroll at a two-year or four-year Maryland college or university; or be enrolled in a 2-year terminal certificate program in which the coursework is acceptable for transfer credit for an accredited baccalaureate program in an eligible institution; or be enrolled in a private career school. High school seniors may apply. All majors are eligible. The scholarship may be renewed on an annual basis for up to 5 years of full-time study or 8 years of part-time study. New and renewal applicants to the program must contact their higher education institution's financial aid office for application instructions. Do not submit any applications or documents to the MHEC OSFA. Please visit the scholarship's website for the full scholarship information.

Fox Pest Control believes in investing in future leaders who are dedicated to making a difference in their communities. That's why they created the Fox Pest Control Future Leaders Scholarship to support students who demonstrate leadership, commitment to their communities, and a passion for growth. To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must be current college students currently enrolled in a four-year or two-year program, taking a minimum of twelve credit hours; or students have been accepted to a four-year or two-year program for the Spring 2026 semester. All students must submit a Spring 2026 class schedule upon request. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.