Maryland Makes Money Moves

Community college students in Maryland had a major victory this week after state lawmakers passed a bill to increase their scholarship opportunities. Some students would be able to attend school for free, due to the $15 million now available for scholarships. This is double the amount available before the bill was passed.

Brad Phillips, the director of policy analysis and research for the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, says that the reduced cost of attendance will give many high school students an incentive to go straight into college after graduating.

Students would be eligible for scholarships if they were recent high school graduates and Maryland residents. They would also need to meet certain income and GPA requirements. The scholarships will become available to students enrolling in 2019.

Phillips stated that students would still have to apply for other forms of aid, either from the federal government or the state, and that the bill would cover any remaining tuition costs.

Maryland has sixteen community colleges.