Carroll Community College recently announced that Carroll County residents who graduate from high school in 2018 may be eligible for a one-year scholarship funded by donors in the Carroll Community College Foundation. Eligible students who enroll and register by July 13 may qualify for a one-year Carroll Promise Scholarship, which will bridge the gap until the Maryland College Promise Scholarship program begins next year.
Governor Larry Hogan in May signed HB 16 – Near Completers and Maryland Community College Promise Scholarships, which allocates $15 million per year in need-based tuition aid for eligible community college students. The program, which begins in 2019 – 2020, requires students access all other eligible financial aid before Maryland’s College Promise scholarship funds, up to $5,000 per year, are awarded. Recipients must work in Maryland one year for each year of scholarship awarded, or the scholarships convert to loans and must be repaid.
The law also provides $2 million over five years to students who are close to finishing degrees at community colleges and four-year institutions. Near-completer students are eligible to receive up to one-third of their tuition dues.
According to a press release:
“We are proud of the fact that our elected officials and Governor passed this new legislation. The opportunity this presents for high school graduates will be life changing for so many. Student success is our top priority, and we don’t want prospective students to wait to enroll until the State scholarships become available,” said College President Dr. James D. Ball. “One of the advantages of starting higher education right after completing high school is that students can continue to build upon the momentum from high school and will get a degree sooner rather than later. We are offering this new scholarship program to ensure a smooth pathway from high school to college without delay because we know that our students will be more successful if they begin right away.”
Carroll’s Promise Scholarship closely mirrors the state’s Maryland Community College Promise program eligibility requirements. One notable exception is Carroll’s grant will not require the year of employment service obligation.
In addition to the Carroll Community College Foundation’s existing annual scholarships, the new Carroll Promise Scholarship program, funded by the Foundation, expects to award an additional $300,000 to Carroll County graduates who meet eligibility requirements.
Eligible students are encouraged to visit Carroll Community College’s Financial Aid Office or call 410-386-8437 for more details.
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