The Promise of Free Community College in Maryland: Where are we now?

The Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship Program became available to applicants beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year. The Promise Scholarship creates opportunities for students to attend one of Maryland’s public community colleges by providing tuition assistance for any student eligible for in-state tuition. At the same time, similar programs to make community college more affordable have become available at the local level within some counties and in Baltimore City. So, is community college now “free” in Maryland?

Please join us for this program to learn the facts about these important scholarship programs, gaining knowledge of who can benefit and how college programs are structured. We will learn from Donna Thomas, Director, Office of Student Financial Assistance at Maryland Higher Education Commission. Ms. Thomas will discuss the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship Program and the Workforce Development Sequence Scholarships. We will also hear about early lessons learned from similarly structured efforts in Baltimore City and Baltimore County as we are joined by Dr. Debbi Johnson-Ross, Director of the Baltimore Mayor’s Scholars Program at Baltimore City Community College, and Virginia Zawodny, Director of Financial Aid for The Community College of Baltimore County.

Maryland Philanthropy Network members will leave with a better understanding of opportunities and gaps in making a post-secondary degree or certification more accessible to all. 

This program is for Maryland Philanthropy Network members only. It was originally scheduled for March 12, 2019.