Higher Education - Foster Care Recipients and Homeless Youth - Tuition Exemption and Associated Benefits

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0818*

HOUSE BILL 818
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By: Delegates Embry, Amprey, Hill, Kaiser, Kaufman, Lewis, Palakovich Carr,
Pasteur, Smith, Taveras, and Terrasa
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Higher Education – Foster Care Recipients and Homeless Youth – Tuition 2
Exemption and Associated Benefits 3

FOR the purpose of requiring public institutions of higher education to provide free of 4
charge room, board, and required books, course materials, supplies, and equipment 5
to certain foster care recipients and homeless youth who qualify for a certain tuition 6
exemption and enroll as students at the institutions; and generally relating to tuition 7
exemptions and student benefits for foster care recipients and homeless youth. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Education 10
Section 15–106.1 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Education 16

15–106.1. 17

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 18

(2) (i) “Foster care recipient” means an individual who: 19

1. Was placed in an out –of–home placement by the 20
Department of Human Services; and 21

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2. A. Resided in an out –of–home placement on the 1
individual’s 18th birthday or at the time the individua l graduated from high school or 2
successfully completed a GED; or 3

B. Resided in an out –of–home placement on or after the 4
individual’s 13th birthday for at least 1 year and was placed into guardianship, adopted, or 5
reunited with at least one of the individual’s parents. 6

(ii) “Foster care recipient” includes a younger sibling of an individual 7
described in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph if the younger sibling is concurrently placed 8
into guardianship or adopted out of an out –of–home placement by the same guardianship 9
or adoptive family. 10

(3) “Homeless youth” means a child or youth who: 11

(i) Has had a consistent presence in the State for at least 1 year 12
before enrollment in a public institution of higher education that is documented by school, 13
employment, or other records; and 14

(ii) Has been verified as a homeless child or youth, as defined by the 15
federal McKinney –Vento Homeless Assistance Act, at any time during the 24 months 16
immediately preceding the student’s enrollment in a public institution of higher education 17
or while the student is enrolled in a public institution of higher education by: 18

1. The Director or designee of a governmental or nonprofit 19
entity that receives public or private funding to provide services to persons e xperiencing 20
homelessness; 21

2. A local educational agency liaison for children and youth 22
experiencing homelessness designated in accordance with the federal McKinney –Vento 23
Homeless Assistance Act; 24

3. A school counselor; 25

4. A school social worker; 26

5. The Director or a designee of a federal or State outreach 27
and student services program designed to identify and provide services to economically 28
disadvantaged individuals; 29

6. The Director or a designee of a federal or State program 30
for providing early awareness and readiness for undergraduate programs; or 31

7. The Director or a designee of the Director of a financial aid 32
department at the public institution of higher education in which the youth is enrolled or 33
seeks to enroll. 34

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(4) “Out–of–home placement” has the meaning stated in § 5 –501 of the 1
Family Law Article. 2

(5) (I) “ROOM AND BOARD ” MEANS THE CHARGES IM POSED FOR 3
ON–CAMPUS HOUSING AND F OOD OR ESTIMATED FOR OFF–CAMPUS HOUSING AND 4
FOOD BY A PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION. 5

(II) “ROOM AND BOARD” DOES NOT INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION 6
COSTS OR OTHER PERSONAL LIVING COSTS. 7

[(5)] (6) (i) “Tuition” means the charges imposed by a public 8
institution of higher education for enrollment at the institution. 9

(ii) “Tuition” includes charges for registration and all fees required 10
as a condition of enrollment in credit–bearing and noncredit courses offered during the fall, 11
winter, spring, or summer term. 12

[(6)] (7) “Vocational certificate” means a certificate or license awarded by 13
a public institution of higher education on completion of a course of study that prepares an 14
individual to work in a career field by taking credit–bearing courses or noncredit courses. 15

(b) (1) A foster care recipient or homeless youth is exempt from paying any 16
tuition at a public institution of higher education, regardless of that foster care recipient’s 17
or homeless youth’s receipt of any scholarship or grant if: 18

(i) The foster care recipient or homeless youth is enrolled at the 19
institution on or before the date that the foster care recipient or homeless youth reaches 20
the age of 25 years; 21

(ii) The foster care recipient or homeless youth is enrolled as a 22
candidate for a vocational certificate, an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree; and 23

(iii) The foster care recipient or homeless youth has filed for federal 24
and State financial aid. 25

(2) If a foster care recipient or homeless youth receives a scholarship or 26
grant for postsecondary study and is enrolled before the recipient’s 25th birthday a s a 27
candidate for a vocational certificate, an associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree at a public 28
institution of higher education, the scholarship or grant may not be applied to the tuition 29
for the foster care recipient or homeless youth. 30

(3) A foster care recipient or homeless youth who is exempt from tuition 31
under this section continues to be exempt until the earlier of: 32

(i) 10 years after first enrolling as a candidate for an associate’s 33
degree or a bachelor’s degree at a public institution of higher education in the State; or 34
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(ii) The date that the foster care recipient or homeless youth is 1
awarded a bachelor’s degree. 2

(4) If a public institution of higher education provides on–campus housing, 3
a foster care recipient or homeless youth who is exempt from tuition under this section shall 4
receive priority consideration for on –campus housing at the institution at which the 5
student is enrolled. 6

(C) (1) IF A FOSTER CARE RECI PIENT OR HOMELESS YO UTH IS EXEMPT 7
FROM PAYING TUITION AT A PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R EDUCATION UNDER 8
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION AND ENROLLS AS A STU DENT AT THE 9
INSTITUTION, THE PUBLIC INSTITUTI ON OF HIGHER EDUCATI ON SHALL PROVIDE 10
FREE OF CHARGE TO THE FOSTER CARE RECI PIENT OR HOMELESS YO UTH THE 11
FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL BENEFITS: 12

(I) 1. ON–CAMPUS ROOM AND BOARD; OR 13

2. 100% OF THE PUBLIC INSTITUTI ON OF HIGHER 14
EDUCATION’S ESTIMATED COST OF ROOM AND BOARD FOR LIVING OFF CAMPUS; AND 15

(II) REQUIRED BOOKS, COURSE MATERIALS , SUPPLIES, AND 16
EQUIPMENT. 17

(2) IF A FOSTER CARE RECIPIENT OR HOMELESS YOUTH RECEIVES A 18
SCHOLARSHIP OR GRANT FOR POSTSECONDARY ST UDY, THE SCHOLARSHIP OR 19
GRANT MAY BE APPLIED TO COVER ALL OR PART OF THE COSTS OF ROOM AND 20
BOARD OR REQUIRED BOOKS, COURSE MATERIALS, SUPPLIES, AND EQUIPMENT FOR 21
THE FOSTER CARE RECIPIENT OR HOMELESS YOUTH. 22

[(c)] (D) (1) If a public institution of higher education determines that a 23
student is a homeless youth, on request of the stude nt, a public institution of higher 24
education shall notify any public institution of higher education in which the student 25
subsequently enrolls of the student’s designation as a homeless youth. 26

(2) If a public institution of higher education receives not ice of a student’s 27
designation as a homeless youth under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the public 28
institution of higher education shall designate the student as a homeless youth. 29

[(d)] (E) Each public institution of higher education shall: 30

(1) (i) Designate a homeless and foster student liaison within its 31
financial aid office or another appropriate office within the institution; 32

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(ii) Ensure that the homeless and foster student liaison has 1
expertise in the financial aid eligibility of homeless and foster students; and 2

(iii) Include as part of the homeless and foster student liaison’s duties 3
providing assistance to homeless and foster students in applying for federal and State 4
financial aid or other assistance for which they may be eligible; 5

(2) Inform current and prospective students about the homeless and foster 6
student liaison and the services the liaison provides; and 7

(3) (i) Make the application for the tuition exemption AND 8
ACCOMPANYING BENEFITS established under this section availa ble to prospective and 9
current students; and 10

(ii) Notify students of the availability of the application. 11

[(e)] (F) (1) Each public institution of higher education shall establish a 12
process for a foster care recipient or homeless youth to appeal a de nial of [a tuition 13
exemption application ] AN APPLICATION FOR A TUITION EXEMPTION AN D THE 14
ACCOMPANYING BENEFITS. 15

(2) The appeal process shall include: 16

(i) Written notification to the foster care recipient or homeless youth 17
of the right to appeal; 18

(ii) A timely opportunity for the foster care recipient or homeless 19
youth to be heard; and 20

(iii) A written decision indicating the outcome of the appeal and the 21
reason for the outcome within 30 days of submission of the appeal. 22

[(f)] (G) (1) On or before June 1 of each year, each public institution of higher 23
education in the State shall report to the Commission on the aggregate and disaggregate 24
number of foster care recipients and homeless youth, including data disaggregated by age, 25
race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity, who: 26

(i) Received a tuition exemption AND THE ACCOMPANYING 27
BENEFITS under this section during the prior academic year; 28

(ii) Applied for but did not receive a tuition exemption AND THE 29
ACCOMPANYING BENEFITS under this section during the prior academic year and the 30
reason for the denial; 31

(iii) Previously received a tuition exemption AND THE 32
ACCOMPANYING BENEFITS under this section at any point during their enrollment at the 33
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institution but did not receive the tuition exemption AND ACCOMPANYING BEN EFITS 1
during the prior academic year and the reason for not continuing to receive the exemption 2
AND ACCOMPANYING BENEFITS; 3

(iv) Earned a bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree, or a vocational 4
certificate from the institution during the prior academic year; and 5

(v) Filed an appeal in accordance with subsection [(e)] (F) of this 6
section, including the outcome of each appeal and the reason for each appeal denial. 7

(2) On or before June 1 each year, each public institution of higher 8
education shall submit to the Commission a brief description of any forms used in 9
conjunction with the tuition exemption AND ACCOMPANYING BEN EFITS established 10
under this section. 11

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 12
1, 2026. 13