Scholarships FAQs

A scholarship is money awarded to a student to help pay for their education. The two most common types of scholarships are based on academic achievement and/or financial need. Scholarships can be offered to you by the university or you can search for outside scholarships. 

We are not able to match scholarship funds or other awards offered by other institutions.

Private scholarships come from private sources including local organizations, community foundations, employers and professional associations. These private scholarships have their own application process. They’re not reviewed or funded by the university so if you receive a scholarship check made out to your name instead of UMD, let us know about it.

Bring your private scholarship check to the Lee Building, room 1115, so it can be credited to your student account. Please make sure to include your UID on the check.

Private scholarship checks can also be mailed to the following address:

University of Maryland

Office of Student Financial Services and Cashiering - Outside Scholarships

1109 Lee Building

7809 Regents Dr.

College Park, MD 20742

There are many ways to search for available scholarships. Below are just a few options:

• The Helpful Links page provides resources for UMD and outside scholarship searches.
• Our Scholarship Search page provides information on some available outside scholarships. 
• Visit our admissions website for information on undergraduate freshman and transfer merit scholarships.

UMD’s merit scholarships are based on past academic performance, not financial need. These scholarships are awarded to academically talented students who apply for priority consideration admission by the early action deadline. U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens are considered for the university's merit scholarships. 

To be considered for merit scholarships, students must submit a completed undergraduate admission application by the early action deadline for the fall semester. The fall semester early action deadline is November 1 for freshman students and is March 1 for transfer students. Admitted students will automatically be considered for any merit scholarships offered through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The FAFSA is not required and there is not a separate application that is needed in order to be reviewed for these awards.

Freshman students selected to receive a merit scholarship will be notified by March 1 and all final awards will be made no later than April 1. Transfer students selected to receive a merit scholarship will be notified several weeks after they receive their admission decision in late April. 

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for recipients of the Maryland Transfer Scholarship to retain their award as this scholarship is based on both academic talent and demonstrated financial need. We encourage all students to submit the FAFSA every year. The priority deadline for the 2025-26 FAFSA is March 1, 2025. 

If a student fails to meet the 3.2 cumulative GPA requirement (for the first time), they will be given a one-time probationary semester. During probation students will continue to receive their scholarship. 

If a student fails to meet the 30 completed credit requirement, then their merit scholarship will be canceled for the following academic year. You may consider completing the additional credits during the winter and summer semesters. 

Undergraduate admissions scholarships only pay during the fall and spring semesters. Most students have to pay for the winter and summer semesters through other funds.