The Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship covers up to $5,000 a year of community college tuition and mandatory fees, for Maryland students with adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less in a single-parent household or $150,000 or less in a two-parent household and at least a 2.3 unweighted high school GPA. It's a last-dollar award, so it only pays what's left after federal and state grants -- and unlike Maryland's biggest state grants, which run on a March 1 deadline, it's handled mostly through your community college.
One caution before the details: as of October 11, 2026, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) page linked as its 2026-27 Promise program still describes the 2025-26 academic year. Every figure below comes from those most recent published terms. Check with MHEC or your community college's financial aid office before counting on them for 2026-27 or 2027-28.
Maryland Promise Scholarship requirements at a glance
| Requirement | 2025-26 terms (most recent published) |
|---|---|
| Residency | Maryland high school graduate or GED recipient, eligible for in-state tuition |
| Income | AGI of $100,000 or less (single or single-parent household) or $150,000 or less (married or two-parent household), based on 2023 tax-year income |
| GPA (high school seniors) | 2.3 unweighted cumulative, at the end of first semester of senior year or of senior year |
| GPA (already in community college) | 2.5 cumulative at a community college |
| GED applicants | Submit a copy of the exam |
| Enrollment | At least 6 credits a semester in a credit program, or the next available courses in a licensure/certification sequence |
| Application | FAFSA or MHEC One-App, then documentation sent directly to your community college |
| Deadline | April 1, 2026 (for 2025-26) |
Students who graduated high school five or more years before applying don't have to submit a high school transcript for the GPA requirement.
What "last-dollar" means for how much you get
Promise pays tuition and mandatory fees that remain after federal or state aid has been applied, up to $5,000. A student with a large Pell Grant and a Maryland EA Grant may find little or no tuition left for Promise to cover, while a student near the $100,000 or $150,000 income line -- with less other aid -- gets the most out of it. It also doesn't cover books, transportation, or living costs; see what "free" community college still costs for the expenses that sit outside tuition.
Which community college you can use it at
MHEC requires you to attend the community college in your county, or for students in regional districts, their region's college -- Wor-Wic Community College, Chesapeake College, or College of Southern Maryland. If your local college doesn't offer your program, you can take the scholarship to any Maryland community college that does. You can also use it at a community college with on-campus housing.
Promise isn't limited to associate degrees. It covers credit-bearing certificates, a sequence of credit or non-credit courses leading to a license or certification, and registered apprenticeships. Non-credit continuing-education students apply through a separate Promise Non-Credit Application in the MHEC One-App, on a rolling deadline.
Keeping it
To renew, MHEC requires you to:
- stay eligible for in-state tuition and under the income caps;
- refile the FAFSA or MHEC One-App by April 1 each year;
- complete at least 6 credits each semester in a credit program and keep a 2.5 cumulative GPA;
- make satisfactory academic progress toward your certificate, apprenticeship, or degree.
How it compares to other states' Promise programs
Maryland's version trades a dollar cap for a wider door. Several of the best-known state Promise programs, like Tennessee Promise and Rhode Island Promise, are limited to recent high school graduates. Maryland's is capped at $5,000, but it's open to students who graduated years ago, its income caps reach well into middle-income households, and it covers part-time students taking 6 credits, career certificates, and apprenticeships.
What this means for you
- Check your household's AGI against the right cap -- $100,000 for single-parent or single filers, $150,000 for two-parent or married households.
- Look at your unweighted GPA at the end of first semester senior year. That's the first point at which 2.3 counts.
- File the FAFSA early and call your community college's financial aid office -- documents go to the college, not to MDCAPS.
- If you plan to transfer after your associate degree, keep your GPA at 2.5 or higher. It's the same bar as Maryland's 2+2 Transfer Scholarship for moving to a four-year school.