Terp Family Student Scholarship Awards

To be eligible for the scholarship award, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Be a registered, undergraduate degree-seeking student at the University of Maryland, College Park at the time of application submission and during the semesters for which the scholarship is awarded;
• Have completed at least 36 credits and achieved sophomore standing or higher by the time of application submission;
  • Credits in progress for Spring 2025 do not count toward the credit requirement as they are not yet completed.
• Be a student in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and no disciplinary record;
• Have personal or family circumstances that have caused or contributed to a financial burden that may be remedied in whole or in part by the scholarship award;
• Have at least one semester of study left at the University before receiving a degree;
• Be able to apply the full amount of the award to tuition, living expenses, or textbooks in the semesters for which the scholarship is awarded and as can be disbursed by the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Note: A student’s in-state or out-of-state status is not a consideration for evaluation. Similarly, DACA/immigrant status is also not a consideration for evaluation.

The Terp Family Student Scholarship Award is intended to assist students who may be compelled to leave the University and/or delay graduation due to extenuating financial conditions. Applicants should use these prompts to assist in relaying how their finances affect their ability to remain at UMD and how they are addressing them.

1. Describe any personal and/or family circumstances that have caused or contributed to a financial burden that affects your ability to remain at UMD.
2. Share any relevant financial details and/or work experience for the committee to consider. In response to this prompt, please describe: 
   1. All scholarships, grants, or financial assistance you currently receive, if any, as part of your 2023-24 financial aid package. Be sure to note if you are eligible for or currently receive a Pell Grant; 
   2. Approximate percentage and/or dollar amount of the total cost of your education (tuition, room, board, books, etc.) that you are expected to fund, not including any financial assistance from family; 
   3. Summer employment held; and 
   4. Employment held during the school year. 
      ​​The review committee appreciates any information about the actions you are taking to help meet your financial need. If you are not working, please explain the circumstances as to why you are not able to work during the summer and/or school year. There are valid reasons for not working and if you are/were not working, we would like to understand how you spend your time, and the impact it provides.
3. Explain how this scholarship will assist you in 1) persisting at the University, 2) pursuing your program of study, and 3) attaining your career goals. Be sure to include your program of study and career goal(s), as well as what the scholarship funds will be used for.
4. Share any additional information about your experience at the University of Maryland that will be helpful for the review committee to know.

Important notes:

• All applicants are encouraged to utilize the many writing resources available to assist them in writing high-quality responses for each prompt. There are free online and in-person options available.
• We highly recommend preparing responses in a separate document. Applicants can then cut and paste their responses into the online application.
• Be sure to address everything listed in the prompts. Failure to do so will result in a lower-scoring application.
• There is no word limit; however, a good prompt response is around 200 words. Be clear and concise.

All applicants must agree to authorize the release of information to verify academic and disciplinary records. In addition, applicants must agree that portions of the information contained in their application will be shared with the Terp Family Student Scholarship Review Committee for the selection of this award. 

Note: Please be aware that what you share in your essay responses will be shared with the Review Committee. The Review Committee consists of external volunteers who are also parents/guardians of UMD students. No personally identifiable information (applicant name, UID, etc.) is shared with the committee outside of what you include in your essay responses.

While receiving instruction, advising, or other services at the University, Maryland state law requires advisors/educators/employers to report any incident of past or current child abuse or neglect to Child Protective Services and to the University President's Designee, the University's Chief of Police. In addition, if an educator has reason to believe that a vulnerable adult (an adult who lacks the physical or mental capacity to provide for the adult's daily needs) over the age of 18 is in danger, the educator is required to make a report to law enforcement authorities. Health professionals, psychologists, psychotherapists, counselors, and mental health professionals are not required to report child abuse neglect to the President's Designee, but are required by law to make reports to Child Protective Services.

Application available on Scholarship Universe: Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Application submission deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, 2025

Notification of award status: Thursday, July 31, 2025* 

*Note: The evaluation process includes a review of financial need as determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid. Our goal to notify applicants by July 31 may be impacted should there be delays in the 2025-2025 FAFSA processing timeline. We will update all applicants if our award notification is delayed.