Tuition Waivers for Homeless Youth

The Maryland Tuition Waiver for Homeless Youth is available to students enrolled in an associate or vocational certificate, who experience homelessness or being at risk of homelessness, as defined by the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, at any time during the 24 months immediately preceding the student’s enrollment in a public institution of higher education or while the student is enrolled in a public institution of higher education.

Please monitor your PeopleSoft and Student Forms to do lists or contact Pamela Grzybowski, the FCC Single Point of Contact for Homeless Youth, in the Financial Aid Office at [email protected] for more information about this Tuition Waiver.

Tuition Waivers for Foster Care Recipients

Students under the age of 25 who are or were in an out-of-home placement in Maryland by the MD Department of Human Services and who are attending a Maryland public college or university are eligible to apply.

When applying, you must have been placed or were in an out-of-home placement by the Maryland Department of Human Services.

You must have:      

• Been placed in out-of-home placement by the Maryland Department of Human Services; and
• Resided in an out-of-home placement on the individual’s 18th birthday or at the time of graduation from high school or upon successful completion of the General Education Development (GED) examination; OR
• Resided in an out-of-home placement for at least one year on or after the individual’s 13th birthday and entered into guardianship, been adopted, or reunited with at least one of the individual’s parents
• Been the younger sibling of an individual who met the qualifications outlined in section (a) and (b) above, and was concurrently placed into the same guardianship by the same parent, or was adopted by the same adoptive family with the older sibling.

All majors are eligible to apply, both credit bearing and non-credit bearing courses.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

1. Complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) each year.
2. Be enrolled on or before he or she reaches the age of 25.
3. The youth continues to be exempt from paying tuition and fees until 10 years after first enrolling as a candidate for an associate, bachelors, or a vocational certificate at a Maryland public institution of higher education.
4. Be enrolled full time or part time for an associate, bachelors, or a vocational certificate at a Maryland public institution of higher education
   • Non-credit courses taken to earn a vocational certificate also qualify for tuition waiver.
5. Students are eligible to receive the Foster Care Tuition Waiver for the following semesters:
   A. Fall
   B. Winter
   C. Spring
   D. Summer

AWARD AMOUNT

You are exempt from paying tuition and mandatory fees at a public college in Maryland. The tuition waiver only applies to tuition and fees. This also includes all fees for credit bearing and noncredit courses required as a condition of enrollment​.

If a foster care recipient receives a scholarship or grant, the scholarship or grant may not be applied to the tuition for the foster care recipient.  

Tuition is determined by the individual public institution of higher education and includes cost for tuition, registration fees as well as all fees that are required as a condition of enrollment. Tuition does not include room, board, books, and transportation.

Students who believe this may qualify for this waiver should click here to complete the Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Recipients form.

Questions about this opportunity can be sent via email to [email protected].

More information about this opportunity can be found here.

Additional Tuition Waivers

Additional tuition waivers such as the SSI/SSDI Waiver and waivers for individuals who work in Frederick County, are managed by the Student Accounts Office.