Students should only complete one of the applications (not both), according to the requirements below:

You are eligible to complete the FAFSA if you are an:

• U.S. Citizen 
• Permanent Resident 
• Eligible non-citizen
• T Visa holder 

 
You are eligible to complete the MSFAA if you:

• Are undocumented
• Meet the non-resident exemption as described under §15–106.8. of the MD Education Article​

The Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) is available to applicants who are ineligible to receive federal aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 
 
The MSFAA allows undocumented immigrants, who qualify for in-state tuition under §15–106.8 of the MD Education Article, to apply and be considered for certain types of State need-based financial aid, such as: the  Educational Assistance Grant, the Guaranteed Access Grant, the Campus Based Educational Assistance Grant, the Part Time Grant, the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship, the Near Completer Grant, the Cybersecurity Public Service Scholarship Program, the Delegate Scholarship, the Senatorial Scholarship, and the Richard W. Collins III Leadership with Honor Scholarship. . 
 

 

Yes!

The MSFAA becomes available in October of each year and it should be submitted by March 1 for consideration of state financial aid.

Students can submit the MSFAA at any point during enrollment, but if the MSFAA is submitted after March 1, the student would not be considered for most types of state financial aid from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA).

 

Community College Promise Scholarships
The Community College Promise Scholarship is available to students who graduated from a Maryland high school or received their GED in the state. Students must enroll full-time in an associate degree or credit-bearing certificate, be eligible for the in-state tuition rate, submit their FAFSA or MSFAA by 3/1, demonstrate financial need, meet specific high school GPA/GED scores or community college GPA, meet specific adjusted gross income (AGI) limits, and submit all required documents to MHEC by 6/30. Students are required to accept this award in MDCAPS if they are offered the award.

Guaranteed Access (GA) Grant
The GA Grant is available to full-time students who enroll in an associate degree, are eligible for the in-state tuition rate, submit their FAFSA or MSFAA by 3/1, demonstrate financial need, meet specific high school GPA/GED Scores, and submit all required documents to MHEC by 4/1. Students are required to accept this award in MDCAPS if they are offered the award.

Educational Assistance (EA) Grant
The EA Grant is available to full-time students who enroll in an associate degree, are eligible for the in-state tuition rate, submit their FAFSA or MSFAA by 3/1, and demonstrate financial need. Students are required to accept this award in MDCAPS if they are offered the award.

Campus Based Educational Assistance Grant (CBEAG)
The CBEAG is available to full-time students who enroll in an associate degree, are eligible for the in-state tuition rate, submit their FAFSA or MSFAA after 3/1, and demonstrate financial need. Students must submit a Drug-Free Pledge to be eligible and should monitor their myFCC email for instructions if they are offered this award.

Maryland Part-Time Grant (MDPTG)

1. Must be a permanent resident of Maryland (this includes students and their parents, if they are a dependent student).
2. Must have financial need as determined by the FAFSA or the MSFAA - EFC limit is 9,000 OR dually enrolled students must receive Free & Reduced Meals (FARM) as verified by FCPS.
3. Shall not have any C-codes that impact eligibility for Title IV aid (ex: cannot be in default on a student loan)
4. Must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
5. Must be enrolled 3 to 11 credits
6. Preference is given to students that were offered the EA/GA Grants but were enrolled less-than-full-time.
7. Preference is given to early FAFSA applicants (March 1st) and then by lowest EFC
8. Shall not receive the MDPTG for more than eight years
9. Shall not receive an EA Grant < 12 appeal and a MDPTG in the same semester (this applies to all allied health students)
10. Shall not be awarded for Courses Not Used (CNU)
11. A full-time student who is enrolled in CNUs shall not be awarded MDPTG for the eligible coursework
12. Students with a bachelor's degree may be awarded MDPTG
13. Must be enrolled in an associates program or be a dually enrolled student
14. Student must sign the Drug-Free Pledge via PerfectForm or in MDCAPS when accepting an EA/GA offer

Award amounts
Award should be posted per term based on the chart below:

Credits per term	Dependent	Independent
3-5	$200	$300
6-8	$300	$400
9-11	$400	$500

 

Awards are based on the student's enrollment in required coursework at the time the award is disbursed.

Awards are not guaranteed as they will be made based on the availability of funds.

Delegate Scholarship
The State of Maryland Delegate Scholarship is offered by the local State Delegates to Maryland residents who plan to pursue a post-secondary credential full-time (12+ credits per semester) or part-time (6-11 credits per semester).

Students should contact their local delegates for instructions on how to apply. For a list and contact information of the student's local delegates, please click here or visit the Maryland State Board of Elections website.

Senatorial Scholarship
Degree-seeking students and their parents (if they are a dependent student) must be Maryland residents and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) by 3/1.

If your State senator makes his/her own awards, you must call or write to your legislator for further instructions. The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) can provide a list of all State legislators.

Charles W. Riley Firefighter & Ambulance & Rescue Squad Member Scholarship Program
The Riley scholarship is for students who are actively engaged as a career firefighter or ambulance rescue squad member in an organized fire department or ambulance/rescue squad in the State. Students can enroll full or part-time in an eligible undergraduate program (Fire service technology, emergency medical technology, fire service management, or public safety administration with a minor or concentration in fire service technology or fire service management). Eligible students must apply within MDCAPS and submit all required documents by 4/15. There are service obligation requirements with this award.

Cybersecurity Public Service Scholarship Program
Students must be eligible for in-state tuition under the provisions of Education Article, Title 15, Annotated Code of Maryland, enroll full-time in an approved credit-bearing degree or an approved credit- bearing certificate program, be within two years of graduation from the individual’s credit-bearing degree or credit- bearing certificate program, maintain a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0 while enrolled at FCC in an approved Cybersecurity field. Students receiving a Federal Cyber Corps Scholarships for Service are not eligible for this award. Students must apply within MDCAPS by 7/1.

Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant Program (WSSAG)
The Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant (WSSAG) program is for students who plan on working in specific career/occupational programs upon graduation.  Eligible fields include: child care, human services, teaching, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, social work, and public service.

Interested students must apply and submit all required documents within MDCAPS by 7/1.

Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program and Jean B. Cryor Memorial Scholarship Program
Applicants must be: the son, daughter, stepchild, or the surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a member of the United States Armed Forces who died as a result of military service or who suffered a service-connected 100% permanent disability as result of military service; a veteran who suffers a service-connected disability of 25% or greater, as a result of military service, and has exhausted or is no longer eligible for federal veterans’ educational benefits; the son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse of a victim of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks who died as a result of the attacks on 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; a POW/MIA of the Vietnam Conflict or his/her son, daughter, or stepchild and was a resident of this State at the time the person was declared to be a prisoner of war or missing in action the son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a state or local public safety employee or volunteer who died in the line of duty or who was 100 percent disabled in the line of duty; or a state or local public safety employee or volunteer who was 100 percent disabled in the line of duty; a veteran, as defined under § 9–901 of the State Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, who either suffers a service connected disability of 25% or greater and has exhausted or is no longer eligible for federal veterans’ educational benefits; the son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a school employee who, as a result of an act of violence either died in the line of duty or sustained an injury in the line of duty that rendered the school employee 100% disabled.

Eligible students should email Shelby Metzgar in the Financial Aid Office at [email protected]. Applications are due by 7/15.

Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship
The Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship Program is designed to provide financial assistance to United States armed forces personnel who served in the Afghanistan or Iraq Conflicts, and their sons, daughters, or spouses who are current high school seniors, and full-time or part-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled in an eligible accredited Maryland postsecondary institution.

Students must submit their FAFSA by 3/1 and submit the application and all required documents within MDCAPS by 3/1.

Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Recipients
The Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Recipients is available to foster care youth who are enrolled in an associate or vocational certificate. Students who believe this may qualify for this waiver should email Shelby Metzgar in the Financial Aid Office at [email protected].

Tuition Waiver for Homeless Youth
The Maryland Tuition Waiver for Homeless Youth is available to students enrolled in an associate or vocational certificate, who experience homelessness or being at risk of homelessness, as defined by the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, at any time during the 24 months immediately preceding the student’s enrollment in a public institution of higher education or while the student is enrolled in a public institution of higher education.

Please submit your Homeless Youth Determination/Tuition Waiver request online.  

Contact Pamela Grzybowski, the FCC Single Point of Contact for Homeless Youth, in the Financial Aid Office at [email protected] for more information about this Tuition Waiver.

Tuition Waiver for Students with Disabilities
The SSI/SSDI waiver is available for students who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. This waiver can be used to cover any outstanding tuition charges after all financial aid, with the exception of loans, are applied. More information about this waiver can be found under the “Students with Disabilities Tuition Waiver” section of each semester’s Credit Course Schedule.

You should gather the following before beginning the MSFAA:
 

• Your login information for the Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS).
• Your Tax ID Number (TIN), if you have one.
• Federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. The required taxes needed will depend on which MSFAA is being completed. For example, the 2024-2025 MSFAA is based on 2022 tax and income data.
• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

 
You will also need the above information for your parent(s) if you are a dependent student.
 

Dependent students will need to wait 2-3 days and then log back into MDCAPS to print the paper signature card. The signature card will be available on the “Check Your Application Status” page of MDCAPS. The signature card must be printed, signed by at least one parent, and then uploaded into MDCAPS. Students can upload documents to MDCAPS by selecting the “New Electronic File Upload” option from the main menu. 

MHEC will notify applicants in late April if they are awarded an Educational Assistance Grant or Guaranteed Access Grant for the upcoming academic year.

Awarding for the other state grant/scholarship programs will occur in the summer and eligible applicants will be notified by email if they are awarded. There are certain campus-based state aid programs, such as the Maryland Part-Time Grant and Campus Based Educational Assistance Grant that the Financial Aid Office can award to students. Students are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office to inquire about the availability of these funds.

Students are encouraged to monitor their “Check Application Status” in MDCAPS to verify no additional information is required for any of the grant or scholarship programs for which they may have applied. Additional information may be required by MHEC OSFA and students should pay close attention to the deadlines provided.

MHEC communicates with all applicants by email. Students are strongly encouraged to provide an email address that they frequently use when submitting all applications.