Tuition Waiver for Homeless Youth

 

If you are under 25 and have experienced housing instability or homelessness, you may qualify for free tuition at public colleges and universities in Maryland. This is called the Tuition Waiver for Homeless Youth.

 

Tuition Waiver Eligibility

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To be eligible for the Tuition Waiver for Homeless Youth, you must:

• Apply for federal and state financial aid;

• Enroll as a student at a public college or university in Maryland before turning 25;

• Be pursuing a vocational certificate, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree;

• Have had a consistent physical presence in Maryland for 12 months immediately preceding enrollment; and

• Provide verification that you experienced homelessness during the 24 months immediately preceding enrollment in college or while enrolled.
   

Applying for the Tuition Waiver
 

Contact the financial aid office at the college or university where you want to apply for the tuition waiver and ask about their application process. Each institution is also required to have a staff liaison for students experiencing homelessness. This liaison should be able to assist you with the tuition waiver process and other questions about financial aid or other support. If the college or university denies your tuition waiver application, it must provide an opportunity for you to appeal this decision. Read more here.
 

Tuition Waiver Coverage
 

If your college or university finds that you are eligible, then the waiver will cover:

• Tuition, which is defined as “charges imposed by a public institution of higher education for enrollment at the institution” and includes charges for registration and all fees required as a condition of enrollment in credit-bearing and noncredit courses offered during the Fall, Winter, Spring, or Summer term. Tuition does not include room and board or other living expenses.

• If you receive scholarships or grants for college, your school cannot apply these funds to your tuition before applying the tuition waiver. You should be able to use this other financial aid for room and board or other living expenses.

• You will continue to be exempt from tuition for 10 years after first enrolling as a candidate for an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree OR you are awarded a bachelor’s degree, whichever happens first.

• Priority consideration for on-campus housing if your college or university provides on-campus housing.

• Certain youth and young adults who have been in foster care may also qualify for a tuition waiver.  

 

The Maryland law that establishes the tuition waiver for homeless youth and foster care recipients can be found in the Maryland Code, Education Title, section 15-106.1.