2020-2021 Near Completer Application Available May 1, 2020
The Maryland Higher Education
Commission (MHEC) is offering an opportunity for Maryland residents, who
started a degree but did not finish, a financial incentive to complete their
degree by having the state help pay for tuition. The Maryland Higher Education
Commission is currently working to encourage near completers to re–enroll in an
institution of higher education to earn a degree.
The Near Completer Grant is available for the 2020-2021 academic year
to eligible applicants not
currently enrolled at a post-secondary institution, but who NOW plans to re-enroll at an
institution to finish their degree.
Eligible applicants must
have previously attended a: public
two-year post-secondary institution or public four-year post-secondary
institution and completed a
required number of college credits, having previously earned a
cumulative minimum grade point average
of 2.0:
· If you’re an applicant
who has earned at least 45 credits, you may be eligible to complete your
Associate Degree
· If you’re an
applicant who has earned at least 90 credits, you may be eligible to complete
your Bachelor’s Degree.
Submission of Transcripts:
· If you are a student who wants to complete your Associate
Degree, attach a copy of your transcript/transcripts showing that you have
completed at least 45 credit hours.
· If you are a
student who wants to complete your Bachelor’s
Degree, attach a copy of your transcript/transcripts showing that you have
completed at least 90 credit hours.
When to apply:
The 2020-2021 Near Completer Grant
application is now available online through the Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS). The deadline to complete the application and submit all
required documentation is July 1, 2020.
While the FAFSA or MSFAA application
is not a requirement for the Near
Completer Grant Program, students are encouraged to complete a FAFSA by
March 1 for consideration of both Federal and other State financial aid
programs. To complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
online visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa or submit the Maryland State
Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) online through MDCAPS for any applicant who
is ineligible to receive federal aid but is eligible for in-state
tuition.
How will I know if my school
participates in this program?
This program is open to Maryland
community colleges and public institutions of higher education. MHEC will post
a list of participating institutions on its website, please continue to monitor
this page for updates on participating institutions.
What will you need to re-enroll?
Contact your institutions to
identify what is needed for you to re-enroll.
Beginning in July of 2020, a near
completer who re-enrolls for the 2020-2021 academic year at a community
college will be eligible for up to one-third of the in-county tuition charge.
Near completers who re-enroll in a Public four-year institution will be
eligible for up to one-third of the (in state) undergraduate tuition charge.
The grant may be used for tuition
only after all non-loan aid has been applied. Grants will be provided on a
first-come, first-served basis.