Senatorial Scholarships

Apply now to be a Kagan Senatorial Scholar for Fall 2026 and beyond!

Students must live in District 17 to be eligible.

Senator Cheryl Kagan (Gaithersburg & Rockville) offers scholarships for talented undergraduate and graduate students for both Fall and Spring semesters. To be considered for Fall 2026, you must submit the required materials no later than Friday, May 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM (EST).

Sen. Kagan’s Senatorial Scholarships are multi-year. They are awarded based on both need and merit and can be used at any Maryland institution of higher education; there is a very narrow loophole for “unique majors” for students studying out-of-state. The Scholarship Selection Committee, comprised of volunteers who live and/or work in Rockville and Gaithersburg, gives preference to candidates who:

• Describe in well-written essays how a post-secondary education will help them achieve their goals;
• Volunteer service to the community in a meaningful capacity;
• Attend (or plan to attend) Montgomery College or the Universities at Shady Grove; and,
• Have a verifiable history of voting (any party, any candidate), if eligible.

NOTE: If your application is incomplete, inaccurate, late, not signed, or does not include the required materials, it will not be considered. If you have not completed and signed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)– or MDCAPS if you aren’t eligible for FAFSA– your application will be disqualified. The Scholarship Committee will not review disqualified applications.

Important Note on Artificial Intelligence (AI): Your application must be your own original work. Use of AI tools like ChatGPT or other text generators is not permitted for drafting or writing your essays. However, limited use of tools like Google Translate is acceptable for non-native English speakers who need language support– as long as the ideas and writing remain your own. The Selection Committee reviews submissions carefully and reserves the right to disqualify applications that appear to be AI-generated.

To be eligible for a Senatorial Scholarship, you must have completed the 2026-27 FAFSA through the U.S. Department of Education.

If you are eligible for in-state tuition, but ineligible to receive federal financial aid, you must submit the Maryland Higher Education Commission One-App (MHEC One-APP) instead. To complete the MHEC One App-online, click here and scroll down to the “FAFSA Exception” section.

Top-scoring applicants may be invited for interviews. If you have any questions about your application, contact my office at Cheryl.Kagan@senate.maryland.gov with the subject line “SCHOLARSHIPS.” General information on Senatorial Scholarships is available here.

Good luck to all– we look forward to learning more about you.

Click here to apply