HB1075 • 2026

Higher Education - Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program - Eligible Institutions

Education

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Delegate Smith
Last action: 2026-05-26
Official status: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 673
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on specific degree programs eligible at other institutions or additional requirements for students at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore beyond those already in place.

Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program Expansion

This law expands eligibility for graduate and professional scholarships to include students at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in specific degree programs.

What This Bill Does

Expands the list of eligible institutions for the Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program.
Includes the University of Maryland Eastern Shore as an eligible institution under certain conditions.
Specifies that only students enrolled in specific degree programs at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore are eligible for scholarships.

Who It Names or Affects

Students attending the University of Maryland Eastern Shore who are pursuing certain graduate or professional degrees.
The Commission responsible for administering the scholarship program.
Institutions of higher education in Maryland that participate in the scholarship program.

Terms To Know

Commission: The body responsible for establishing and managing the Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program.
Eligible Institutions: Colleges or universities that are part of the Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program and can receive scholarship funds.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify how much funding will be allocated to each institution.
It is unclear if there will be additional requirements for students at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore beyond those already in place.

Bill History

2026-05-26 Post Passage
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 673
2026-04-02 Senate
Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-03-22 House
Returned Passed
2026-03-19 Senate
Third Reading Passed (43-0)
2026-03-16 House
Favorable Report by Appropriations
2026-03-16 Senate
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
2026-03-05 House
Third Reading Passed (131-0)
2026-03-03 Senate
Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-03-02 House
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
2026-02-17 House
Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-10 House
First Reading Appropriations
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Higher Education - Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program - Eligible Institutions
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Appropriations
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Higher Education - Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program - Eligible Institutions
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Education, Energy, and the Environment
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Chapter - Higher Education - Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program - Eligible Institutions

Official Summary Text

Expanding eligibility under the Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program to include students attending the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and enrolled in certain degree programs.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb1075*

HOUSE BILL 1075
F2 6lr2701
CF SB 486
By: Delegate Smith
Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Higher Education – Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship 2
Program – Eligible Institutions 3

FOR the purpose of expanding eligibility under the Maryland Graduate and Professional 4
Scholarship Program to include certain students attending the University of 5
Maryland Eastern Shore; and generally relating to the Maryland Graduate and 6
Professional Scholarship Program. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Education 9
Section 18–2601 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14

Article – Education 15

18–2601. 16

(a) In cooperation with the institutions of higher education in the State, the 17
Commission shall establish and administer a Graduate and Professional Scholarship 18
Program to provide financial assistance to full–time and part–time students in the fields of 19
medicine, dentistry, law, pharmacy, nursing, social work, and veterinary medicine. 20
2 HOUSE BILL 1075

(b) A recipient of a graduate and professional scholarship shall: 1

(1) Be a resident of the State; 2

(2) Demonstrate financial need according to criteria established by the 3
Commission; and 4

(3) Attend one of the following institutions: 5

(i) The University of Maryland School of: 6

1. Medicine; 7

2. Dentistry; 8

3. Law; 9

4. Pharmacy; or 10

5. Social Work; 11

(ii) The University of Baltimore School of Law; 12

(iii) The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; 13

(iv) Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine; 14

(v) The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine; 15

(VI) THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE 16
ENROLLED IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DEGREE PROGRAMS: 17

1. MASTER OF MEDICAL SCIENCE IN PHYSICIAN 18
ASSISTANT STUDIES; 19

2. DOCTOR OF PHARMACY; 20

3. DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY; OR 21

4. DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE; 22

[(vi)] (VII) Any institution of higher education in the State offering a 23
master’s degree in nursing; 24

HOUSE BILL 1075 3

[(vii)] (VIII) Any institution of higher education in the State offering a 1
master’s degree in social work; or 2

[(viii)] (IX) Any institution of higher education in the State offering a 3
first professional degree in pharmacy. 4

(c) A graduate and professional scholarship award for a single school year may 5
not be less than $1,000 or more than $5,000. 6

(d) A recipient may not receive an award for longer than 8 semesters. 7

(e) (1) The Commiss ion shall allocate grants for the Program to the 8
institutions of higher education specified in subsection (b)(3) of this section based on the 9
proportion of State residents enrolled in eligible programs at each institution. 10

(2) An institution of higher e ducation that receives a grant under this 11
section shall provide the Commission with an annual audit describing the disposition of the 12
funds. 13

(f) The Commission shall: 14

(1) Establish guidelines for the awarding of graduate and professional 15
scholarships by the institutions of higher education to the students; and 16

(2) Adopt regulations necessary for the implementation of this section. 17

(g) Funds for the Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program shall 18
be as provided in the State budget. 19

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 20
1, 2026. 21

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.