Maryland's state financial aid deadline is March 1 -- and for the two biggest state grants, filing the FAFSA by that date isn't a step toward applying, it is the application. The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) says plainly that there's no separate application for its Guaranteed Access Grant or Educational Assistance Grant; its system automatically considers every eligible student whose FAFSA or MHEC One-App arrives by March 1 with a Maryland college listed. Below is every major MHEC program, what it pays, and the date each one actually runs on.

All dollar figures here are MHEC's published 2026-27 terms. As of October 11, 2026, MHEC hasn't posted its 2027-28 program pages yet, so treat amounts and income limits as the most recent official numbers, not next year's guaranteed ones.

The Maryland state financial aid deadline: March 1, every year

MHEC refers to March 1 as "the Maryland state deadline," and every one of its main need-based programs keys off it. For students starting college in fall 2027, that means filing the 2027-28 FAFSA by March 1, 2027 -- see what to have ready before you start the form. Two details trip people up:

  • A Maryland college has to be on the form by March 1. MHEC's 2026-27 rules require at least one Maryland university or college listed on the FAFSA or One-App by the deadline -- a FAFSA sent only to out-of-state schools doesn't count.
  • This is a fixed date, not first-come-first-served for consideration -- though awarding itself does run "until all funds have been exhausted," so a complete, document-ready file still matters after March 1. That's the distinction between fixed-date and first-come state deadlines in practice.

Students who are eligible for in-state tuition but can't file the FAFSA -- including undocumented students who qualify for in-state rates -- file the MHEC One-App through MDCAPS instead, on the same March 1 deadline.

Every MHEC grant and scholarship, side by side

ProgramMax award (2026-27)Who it's forHow you applyDeadline
Guaranteed Access (GA) Grant$18,000Full-time undergrads with family income at or below 130% of povertyFAFSA/One-App onlyMarch 1
Educational Assistance (EA) Grant$3,000Full-time undergrads with financial needFAFSA/One-App onlyMarch 1
Campus-Based EA Grant (CBEAG)$3,000Pell-eligible students who filed after March 1Your college's aid officeSet by college
Part-Time Grant$2,000Part-time (3-11 credit) undergrads with needFAFSA/One-App, then your collegeMarch 1 (FAFSA)
Community College Promise$5,000 (last-dollar)Community college students under the income capsFAFSA/One-App, then your collegeSpring of the award year
2+2 Transfer Scholarship$2,000Community college grads transferring to a Maryland 4-yearSeparate One-App applicationOctober 15, 2026 (2026-27)
Delegate / Senatorial Scholarships$14,086Almost any Maryland student, undergrad or gradThrough your state legislatorsSet by each legislator

The table leaves out MHEC's narrower programs -- workforce-shortage, public-service, and memorial scholarships, plus tuition waivers for foster care recipients and homeless youth -- which MHEC lists on its deadlines page. That page is a useful index, but at least two of its rows were still showing prior-cycle dates as of October 2026, so confirm any date on the program's own page.

GA vs. EA: one filing, and a one-way rule between them

The Guaranteed Access and Educational Assistance Grants are the two halves of Maryland's Howard P. Rawlings Educational Excellence Awards, and the same FAFSA filing puts you in front of both. The difference is income: the GA is limited to students at or below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines ($40,560 for a family of four for 2026-27) and covers up to 100% of calculated need; the EA has no income line of its own, only a need test, and is capped at $3,000.

There's a one-way rule worth knowing in advance: MHEC states that anyone who has ever received an EA Grant can never be considered for the GA, even if their family's income later falls under the GA line. And the GA demands continuous full-time enrollment -- MHEC's FAQ says a break from college ends GA eligibility for good.

Missed March 1? The fallback is smaller and campus-run

The Campus-Based Educational Assistance Grant exists specifically for students "not considered for the Howard P. Rawlings Educational Assistance Grant due to not filing" by March 1. It's not a second shot at the same award:

  • You must be eligible for a federal Pell Grant -- the late-filer pool doesn't reach students above Pell range.
  • Awards are 40% of adjusted need at four-year schools and 60% at community colleges, between $400 and $3,000.
  • MHEC hands each college a fixed allocation, so the last student awarded can get less than the minimum, and the money can run out.
  • Renewal isn't guaranteed -- MHEC's own advice is to file by March 1 the following year to get back into the main programs.

What this means for you

  • Put March 1 on the calendar now and file well before it. For fall 2027 students that's March 1, 2027 -- and since the main grants have no other application, there's no later step that can make up for a missed date.
  • List at least one Maryland college on your FAFSA, even if you're still deciding. Without one, MHEC can't consider you.
  • Watch your MDCAPS account after filing. Both the GA and EA can trigger document requests with a separate deadline (August 1 for 2026-27), and MHEC's GA FAQ gives you just two weeks to accept an award once it's offered before the offer is cancelled.
  • Comparing Maryland high schools or counties as well? See Maryland SAT averages, AP pass rates, and college-going rates by county and school.
  • Check the programs that aren't automatic. Contact your state Delegate and Senator about their scholarships, and if you're at a community college, look at Promise now and 2+2 before you transfer.

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