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Financial Aid for Undocumented Students

Beginning with the 2019-2020 award year, qualified children of undocumented immigrants who are eligible for in-statue tuition under 15-106.8 of the MD Education Article also are now eligible to apply for various State financial aid grants and scholarships. 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 qualified children of 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:

For more information concerning the eligibility requirements of these programs, visit:
http://www.mhec.state.md.us/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/descriptions.aspx

When will the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) be available?

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

  1. You are eligible to complete the FAFSA if you are a:
    • US Citizen
    • Permanent Resident
    • Eligible non-citizen
    • T Visa holder
  2. If you’re working with a student or parent who’s more comfortable reading Spanish than English, send him or her to StudentAid.gov and point out the “Español” link at the upper left corner of any page. Almost all of the site has been translated into Spanish. This site has a page with tips on answering questions asked by non-U.S. citizens; some of that information may be of use to you.
    The U.S. Department of Education does make interpretation and translation services available for inquirers who speak languages other than English or Spanish. Information about language assistance services is available from 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327) (TTY for the deaf or hard of hearing: 1-800-730-8913) or ed.language.assistance@ed.gov.
  3. You are eligible to complete the MSFAA if you are:

Can I fill out the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) if I don’t have a Social Security Number?

Yes. Students are not required to have a Social Security Number to submit the MSFAA. However, students will need to meet the non-resident exemption requirements as described under 15-106.8 of the MD Education Article to qualify for aid.

Will any of my information on the application be shared?

The personally identifiable information (PII) provided on the MSFAA is confidential and used solely to determine eligibility for State financial aid. the PII will be disclosed only as required by law.

What happens after I complete the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA)?

The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) will notify applicants in late April if they are awarded an Educational Assistance Grant or a Guaranteed Access Grant for the 2021-2022 award year. Awarding for the other State grant/scholarship programs will occur in the summer and eligible applicants will be notified by e-mail if they are awarded.

Your institution will notify you if you have been awarded the Part-Time Grant or Campus-Based Educational Assistance Grant. 

MHEC encourages students to monitor their “To Do List” in MDCAPS to verify no additional information is required for any of the grant or scholarship programs you may have applied for. If additional information is needed, be sure to submit all required documents by the deadline. Note: MHEC communicates with all applicants by email; therefore, students are encouraged to provide an e-mail address that they check frequently on any application for State financial aid.

Tip Sheet for Undocumented Students

List of Foundation Scholarships

List of Private Scholarships for Undocumented Students