WORKFORCE SHORTAGE STUDENT
ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM
BACKGROUND
This newly consolidated Workforce Shortage Student Assistance grant program encompasses the following programs:
- Child Care Provider Scholarship;
- Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health, Child Welfare, and Juvenile Justice Workforce Tuition Assistance Program;
- Distinguished Scholar Teacher Education**;
- Sharon Christa McAuliffe Memorial Teacher Education Scholarship**;
- State Nursing Scholarship and Living Expenses Grant;
- Physical and Occupational Therapists and Assistants Grant; and,
- William Donald Schaefer Scholarship*.
*The William Donald Schaefer Scholarship Advisory Council appointed by the Secretary of Higher Education will remain intact to select award recipients using specified criteria.
NOTE: Individuals who have received scholarships under these programs in prior academic years will continue to receive their awards as long as they remain eligible. All awards made in these majors or occupational fields beginning with academic year 2007-2008 will be made as Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grants.
**Teacher Scholarships are awarded to those who agree to work in critical shortage fields, as described below.
Major/Service Area C:
Education: Approved teacher education program leading to certification in a critical shortage field, which include: chemistry (grades 7-12); computer science (grades 7-12); dance; earth/space science (grades 7-12); English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) (Pre K-12); health occupations (grades 7-12); Latin (grades 7-12); mathematics (grades 7-12); physical science (grades 7-12); physics (grades 7-12); reading specialist; Spanish (grades 7-12); special education generic: infant/primary (birth-grade 3); special education – generic: elementary/middle (grades 1-8), special education generic: secondary/adult (grades 6-adult), special education - hearing impaired; special education - severely & profoundly disabled; special education - visually impaired; speech language pathology (educational service area); technology education (grades 7-12). NOTE: Elementary Education is not a critical area.
Recipients must become certified teachers in Maryland in the certification area in which they applied and were awarded, and then be employed in a Maryland public or private elementary or secondary school as a full-time teacher in that area.
Who may apply: Current high school seniors, full-time and part-time, degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in an eligible accredited Maryland postsecondary institution.
How to apply: Complete and file the Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant application and provide official transcripts from all institutions attended. To be considered based on need, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1 of the application year. The FAFSA is not required; however, it will be used to determine the order in which students will be awarded.
When to apply: Complete and file the Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant application by June 1.
Eligible majors: Eligible majors and employment fields will be determined by an Advisory Council biennially and will address statewide and regional workforce needs. Employment fields may be limited to certain occupational areas within a field. Eligible majors and employment fields for academic year 2007-2008 will be listed on the Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant application .
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
You and your parents (if you are a dependent student) must be Maryland residents. You must enroll at a two-year or four-year Maryland college or university as a full-time (12+ credits per semester) or part-time (6-11 credits per semester) degree seeking undergraduate student, or a full-time (9+ credits per semester) or part-time (6-8 credits per semester) degree seeking graduate student. Audited courses cannot be used to reach the minimum credit hours for full-time or part-time status.
MERIT AND/OR NEED-BASED CRITERIA
Both merit and need-based criteria will be used when making awards. Applicants will be ranked by Grade Point Average (GPA) and then by need within each occupational field. Those students with the greatest need within each GPA range will be awarded first.
To determine a student’s merit ranking, transcripts will be required. To determine the GPA ranking of students, a cumulative, unweighted GPA will be used. All GPAs will be recalculated to be considered on a standardized 4.0 scale.
To determine a student’s need ranking, a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be filed by the applicant by the March 1 deadline; however, it is not mandatory to be eligible to receive an award.
AWARD AMOUNT
Awards amount are set at the statutory minimum and are based on the type of institution and the student’s enrollment status. The award is $2,000 per year if attending a Maryland community college full-time (12+ credits per semester) or $1,000 per year if part-time (6-11 credits per semester). The award is $4,000 per year if attending a Maryland 4-year institution full-time (12+ credits per semester for undergraduate; 9+ credits per semester for graduate) or $2,000 per year if part-time (6-11 credits per semester for undergraduate; 6-8 credits per semester for graduate).
The total dollar amount of all State awards may not exceed your cost of attendance as determined by your school's financial aid office or $18,300, whichever is less. Funds may not be available to award all eligible students.
RENEWING AN AWARD
Your award will be automatically renewed for up to the maximum of 5 years as long as you continue to meet all the eligibility requirements and maintain the satisfactory academic progress standards of the institution.
SERVICE OBLIGATION
You must sign and return a promissory note agreeing to begin fulfillment of your service obligation in the employment field for which your award was received within one year of completing your degree. Employment fields for academic year 2007-2008 will be listed on the Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant application.
If you work full-time, you must fulfill your obligation at a rate of one-year for each year that you received the scholarship, even if you were enrolled on a part-time basis for some of the semesters. If you work part-time, you must fulfill your service obligation at a rate of two-years for each year the scholarship was received, even if you were enrolled on a part-time basis. Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week and part-time is at least 20 hours per week.
The service obligation begins after completion of your degree program, and cannot be fulfilled prior to completion. If you hold this scholarship with any other award requiring a service obligation, you must perform your service in consecutive years.
APPLICATION
Download 2007-2008 Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant Program Application