Required Period of Residency

Applicants shall establish that they have been residents of the State of Maryland for the required time frame as specified below.  The required time frames are based upon the type of institution the student will be attending and are for the period immediately preceding the first day of class for the first session in which the student would receive a State scholarship award.

  • Students enrolling in independent colleges and universities must have established Maryland residency for a period of 12 months proceeding the first day of class for the first session in which the student would receive a State scholarship award.
  • NDMU Residency Verification Process: A student must be a Maryland resident to be eligible for all State financial assistance programs, with the exception of, Delegate and Non-Resident Nursing Scholarship recipients.  Students who do not meet the definition of Maryland residency will not be eligible to receive State funds. Maryland residency MUST be verified prior to disbursement of funds.
  • Colleague rules are in place for each State grant that is subject to the Maryland residency requirements. 
  • In order to verify residency, review the students financial aid file, admission/enrollment application and the academic transcript from the student’s previously attended institution.

General Criteria

Recipients of Maryland State scholarships will be considered as Maryland residents if one of the following criteria is met.

  • The student is dependent upon a parent(s) or spouse who has maintained a permanent residence in Maryland for the required period of residency described in this section.
  • The student is independent and has maintained a permanent residence in Maryland for the required period of residency described in this section.
  • The student is a full‑time active member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is stationed in the State of Maryland or whose home of residency is Maryland.
  • The student is a dependent spouse or dependent child of a full‑time active member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is stationed in the State of Maryland or whose home of residency is Maryland.

Permanent Residence

Determining if permanent residency has been established in Maryland, the following criteria shall be taken into consideration.  The applicable criteria must be met for the required period of residency as described in this section. The criteria are as follows:

  • Owns or rents and occupies living quarters in Maryland.
  • Maintains within Maryland substantially all personal property.
  • Pays Maryland income tax on all earned taxable income including all taxable income earned outside the State.
  • Registers all owned motor vehicles in Maryland in accordance with Maryland law.
  • Possesses a valid Maryland driver's license, if licensed, in accordance with Maryland law.
  • Is registered to vote in Maryland, if registered to vote.
  • Receives no public assistance from a state other than the State of Maryland or from a city, county or municipal agency other than one in Maryland.

Extenuating Circumstances

Students who move to Maryland as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) for one of the reasons listed below will be considered Maryland residents for the purposes of State financial aid programs.

Civilian Personnel

The time frame required to meet Maryland residency requirements shall be waived in the case of civilian employees of the U.S. Armed Forces whose positions are transferred from other States to Maryland as the result of the decision of the BRAC for the term of their continuous employment by the U.S. Armed Forces.  This waiver shall also apply to the spouses and dependent children of the affected employees.  Such employees shall be required to submit adequate supporting documentation of a BRAC-related transfer from the Department of Defense or the employee's military unit, such as a copy of the DD Form 1614 and proof of Maryland residence, verifying their eligibility for this waiver.

Defense Contractors

The time frame required to meet Maryland residency requirements shall be waived in the case of employees of defense contractors whose positions are transferred from other states to Maryland as the result of the decision of the BRAC for the term of their continuous employment by their employer.  This waiver shall also apply to the spouses and dependent children of the affected employees. Such employees shall be required to submit adequate supporting documentation of a BRAC-related transfer from their defense contractor employers establishing that the transfer was BRAC-related and proof of Maryland residence, verifying their eligibility of this waiver.

Appeals

A student may appeal a denial of Maryland residency under the appeal mechanism defined laterin this section.

  • Change of Status: Maryland residency status is lost at any time that an independent student, or the parent or spouse through whom a dependent student has attained Maryland residency status, establishes a domicile outside the State.
  • The student shall be considered an out of State student in the first academic term, trimester, or semester after the out of state move occurs.
  • Certification of Residency by Institution: A student’s residency status shall be certified each term by the Maryland institution at which the student is enrolled.
  • If the institution determines that the student is not a Maryland resident, then the student’s State scholarship award shall be cancelled.