Higher Education - Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program - Eligible Institutions
Summary
HB1075 expands the Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program by adding certain University of Maryland Eastern Shore students to the list of eligible recipients. Under current law, the program provides financial assistance to Maryland residents studying in designated graduate and professional fields, including medicine, dentistry, law, pharmacy, nursing, social work, and veterinary medicine. The bill specifically makes students at UMES eligible if they are enrolled in one of four programs: the Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies, Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
The bill retains the program’s existing structure and limits. Eligible recipients must still be Maryland residents who demonstrate financial need, awards remain between $1,000 and $5,000 per school year, and no recipient may receive aid for more than eight semesters. The Maryland Higher Education Commission continues to administer the program, allocate funds to participating institutions based on the number of eligible Maryland residents enrolled, and adopt regulations and guidelines for implementation. Funding remains subject to appropriation in the State budget.
Impact
HB1075 amends Section 18-2601 of the Education Article to expand the list of approved institutions and programs under the Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program. The practical effect is to allow UMES students in specified health-professions programs to compete for state scholarship funds that were previously limited to students at other named institutions or qualifying programs statewide. The bill does not change the amount of awards, eligibility based on residency and financial need, or the overall administration of the program by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been strongly supported and noncontroversial. It received favorable committee action, passed the House 126-0 and the Senate 43-0, and was ultimately approved by the Governor. The unanimous votes suggest broad bipartisan agreement that expanding scholarship eligibility to UMES students was a straightforward higher-education and workforce-support measure.
Contention
No significant opposition is reflected in the available record. The main policy choice in the bill is whether to extend scholarship eligibility to UMES students in the listed professional programs, and the legislative history shows no recorded dissent. Any potential point of discussion would likely have centered on the allocation of limited scholarship funds among institutions, but no committee testimony or floor debate is provided indicating active controversy.