Financial Aid and Scholarships

The 2023-2024 Scholarship Application is now closed for returning students. All returning applicants who have been declared eligible will receive a scholarship award notification on or before August 1, 2023. If a student missed the scholarship application deadline and still has a financial need after all of their grants and scholarships have been applied, they are encouraged to notify the Scholarship Committee at undergrad.smith.scholarship@umd.edu.

Application Checklist

1. Completed FAFSA form on file with University if applying for need-based scholarships (see Office of Financial Aid)
2. Resume
3. List of activities and honors
4. Personal bio
5. Fully answered and completed application (confirm you have submitted your application by July 1 and not left in draft form)

Helpful hint for your bio: This bio is intended to be a BRIEF snapshot of YOU for people who may not be privy to your resume or application. In 4-5 sentences, tell us about professional, academic, or life experiences you feel define you as well as your short-term and long-term goals (this could include why you selected your major and what you hope to do with it). Think of it as your written elevator pitch.

Eligibility

All awards are funded from sources outside of the Smith School, therefore, the stipulations of the awards must be followed. Generally, most scholarships are based upon GPA, major, credit accumulation, demonstrated leadership, residency, financial need, and other factors.

Although students with cumulative GPAs of 3.0 or higher are more competitive, we encourage ALL Smith students to apply, as certain scholarship criteria vary just like our student body.

How to Apply

1. Complete the scholarship application. Smith School students are automatically considered for most Smith School scholarships by completing the general application. All students who want to be considered for a scholarship next year will need to re-apply the following year.
2. The Office of Undergraduate Studies encourages all Smith students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. By completing this form you make yourself eligible for review of all Smith scholarships that are earmarked for students with financial need (as determined by the Office of Financial Aid). In addition, having this form on file allows students to be eligible for any monies from the Smith School of the university that may be earmarked for "emergencies". If you would like financial need to be taken into consideration during the application process, please submit your FAFSA information (January 1 is the University priority deadline; FAFSA forms MUST be completed before the scholarship deadline). For more information on FAFSA, visit the Office of Financial Aid.

Awards

Students selected to receive Smith scholarships are contacted in August. Scholarships are awarded for the academic year and are divided equally between the fall and spring semesters. If you graduate in December, you will receive one semester's worth of the award. You must be a full-time Smith School student in order to retain eligibility for your scholarship, AND you must write a thank-you letter to your donor to receive the second installment of your award.

Once notified of an award, students must accept the award online and provide additional information that can be shared with scholarship donors. A link will be provided in the scholarship award notification email for students who have received a scholarship to formally accept their award. Scholarship monies will not be posted to a student's account until this step is completed.

Students seeking direct admission will be considered for financial aid during the application review. Over 75% of all first-year students at the University of Maryland receive some financial aid.

To be considered for merit-based scholarships, you must apply to the University of Maryland by the November 1 priority deadline. The eligibility requirements for each scholarship vary, but no separate application is necessary. Some scholarships require an on-campus interview. Admission decision letters are mailed by late January and merit scholarship award notifications begin in mid-March and continue through early April.

Need-based scholarships require students to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). UMD's priority deadline is January 1. You may estimate your financial need via the Net Price Calculator.

Transfer students should consult the Office of Financial Aid for up-to-date information regarding aid. 

Additionally, students may search for internal and external scholarship opportunities on the Office of Financial Aid's Scholarship Universe site.

Need-based scholarships require students to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). UMD's priority deadline is January 1.

Types of Financial Aid

A guide to the types of aid you may be offered by the University of Maryland

University of Maryland Office of Student Financial Aid

0115 Mitchell Building
7999 Regents Drive
College Park, Maryland 20742
Phone: 301-314-TERP (8377)
Fax: 301-405-9265
Email: umdfinaid@umd.edu

U.S. Department of Education

• View publications including Funding your Education and The Student Guide.
• Get help in completing the FAFSA.
• Get a copy of FAFSA Express.
• Find the Title IV codes for colleges you selected.

University of Maryland Veterans Program Office

The University of Maryland’s Veterans Program office advertises scholarships available to veterans.

University of Maryland Alumni Association

The University of Maryland’s Alumni Association offers UM scholarships to current students.

University of Maryland Parent and Family Association

Scholarships provide assistance to current undergraduate students in good standing who may be unable to continue their education at the university due to extenuating person or family financial circumstances. Visit their scholarship website for more information.

The University of Maryland Office of Student Financial Aid curates a database of scholarships opportunities our students are eligible for. We encourage you to explore and apply for these scholarships through the Scholarship Universe portal.

This list of scholarships represents organizations that have expressed interest in awarding scholarships to Smith students or have awarded scholarships to Smith students in the past and should not be considered a Smith endorsement of the organization.

Maryland Alumni Association Student Scholarship Award

Amount: Up to $2,000

• Provides assistance to current undergraduate students in good standing who may be unable to continue their education at the University due to extenuating personal or family financial circumstances.
• A scholarship of up to $2000 per student will be awarded for the academic year.

Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Scholarship Program

Amount: $2,000
Professional mentoring

Eligible students must be US Citizens or US permanent residents (except for the 3 gold scholarships mentioned below) who demonstrate:

• Outstanding academic achievement,
• Strong leadership potential,
• A track record of service to the Vietnamese and American communities,
• Pride in their Vietnamese and/or American culture and heritage, and
• A passion to apply their academic background to create a better world, both in America and in Vietnam.
• Only students at the University of Maryland College Park, Virginia Tech, George Mason Univ., Univ. of Virginia, Montgomery College and NOVA Community College are eligible for the $2,000 and $1,000 awards. Up to 40 scholarships are awarded.