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

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.
*sb0486*

SENATE BILL 486
F2 6lr2488
CF HB 1075
By: Senators Carozza, Harris, and Watson
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 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 SENATE BILL 486

(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

SENATE BILL 486 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 Commission 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 education 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.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.