Maryland Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant

Award Amount
Application deadline
Awarded By:

Maryland Higher Education Commission

Number of Awards & Eligibility: The number of awards offered varies annually. Funds may not be available to award all eligible applicants.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. This award is for U.S. students.
  2. Must be enrolled in a program of study currently experiencing a statewide and regional workforce need and plan on working in the specific career/occupational programs upon graduation. Current eligible fields include the following: child development or early childhood education (director or senior staff member); human services; teacher education (does not include elementary or physical education); nursing; physical therapy, physical therapy assistant, occupational therapy, occupational therapy assistant; law; social work; public service fields. Students should visit the MHEC website for detailed information on eligible fields.
  3. Must be a resident of Maryland. If the student is a dependent, his/her parents must also be residents of Maryland.
  4. Must be enrolled at a two- or four-year Maryland postsecondary institution.
  5. Must enroll part time (6-11 credits if an undergraduate, 6-8 credits if a graduate) or full time (12 or more credits if an undergraduate, 9 or more credits if a graduate).
  6. Must be a current high school senior or current degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate student.
  7. Must be a U.S. citizen.

In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Description: 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.

Application requirements for the Maryland Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant are:

  • FAFSA
  • Application form
  • Official Transcript
  • Eligibility forms
Additional Information: The Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant (WSSAG) program is for students who plan on working in specific career/occupational programs upon graduation. Qualifications and selection of recipients are based on both merit and demonstrated financial need. Applicants will be ranked by grade point average and then by need within each occupational field. Those students with the greatest need within each grade point average range will be awarded first. Each recipient must sign and return a promissory note agreeing to begin fulfillment of his/her service obligation in the employment field for which his/her award was received within one year of completing his/her degree (the degree for which he/she received the award, not a subsequent degree). If the student works full time, he/she must fulfill his/her obligation at a rate of one year for each year that he/she received the scholarship, even if he/she was enrolled on a part-time basis for some of the semesters. If he/she works part time, he/she must fulfill his/her service obligation at a rate of two years for each year the scholarship was received, even if he/she was enrolled on a part-time basis. Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week and part-time is at least 20 hours per week. The service obligation begins after completion of the student's degree program, and cannot be fulfilled prior to completion. If the student holds this scholarship with any other award requiring a service obligation, he/she must perform his/her service in consecutive years.

Award Amount: Award amounts are set at the statutory minimum and are based on the type of institution and the student's enrollment status. The award is $2,000 per year if attending a Maryland community college full-time (12+ credits per semester) or $1,000 per year if part-time (6-11 credits per semester). The award is $4,000 per year if attending a Maryland four-year institution full-time (12+ credits per semester for undergraduate; 9+ credits per semester for graduate) or $2,000 per year if part-time (6-11 credits per semester for undergraduate; 6-8 credits per semester for graduate).The total dollar amount of all state awards may not exceed a student's cost of attendance as determined by the school's financial aid office or $19,000, whichever is less. Awards are automatically renewed for up to a maximum of five years providing the student continues to meet all the eligibility requirements and maintains satisfactory academic progress.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $3,001.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Saturday, July 1, 2023

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Saturday, July 1, 2023

Applications are available online from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) website. To apply, the student must complete the Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant application online and submit official transcripts from all institutions he/she has ever attended. Certain majors may require additional documentation, which will be noted on the application. Please note: To be considered based on need, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov by March 1. The FAFSA is not required; however, it will be used to determine the order in which students will be awarded. Applications must be completed online and submitted by the deadline date.
About Maryland Higher Education Commission:
Contact Information: Linda Asplin, Program Administrator
Address: 6 N. Liberty St. Baltimore, Maryland 21201

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