Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Maryland Higher Education Commission

Overview
The Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program offers financial aid to eligible Maryland students who qualify because of their own military or public-safety service or because of a qualifying family or marital relationship to an individual who served in those capacities.

Who is eligible
To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must meet both the enrollment/age requirements and at least one qualifying relationship/service condition.

Enrollment and age requirements
- Be enrolled at an eligible institution in a regular undergraduate, graduate, or professional program, either full-time or part-time.
- OR be enrolled in a two-year terminal certificate program whose coursework is acceptable for transfer credit toward an accredited baccalaureate program at an eligible institution.
- OR be attending a private career school.
- Be at least 16 years old.

Qualifying relationships or service conditions (must meet at least one)
- Son, daughter, or stepchild of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who died as a result of military service or who sustained a service-connected 100% permanent disability due to military service.
- Surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who sustained a service-connected 100% permanent disability due to military service.
- A veteran (as defined in § 9–901 of the State Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland) with a service-connected disability of 25% or greater who has exhausted or is no longer eligible for federal veterans’ education benefits.
- Son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse of a person who died as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (NYC), the Pentagon (VA), or United Airlines Flight 93 (PA).
- A POW/MIA from the Vietnam Conflict, or that person’s son, daughter, or stepchild, who was a Maryland resident at the time they were declared a prisoner of war or missing in action.
- Son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a State or local public safety employee — defined to include career or volunteer fire department, ambulance, or rescue squad/company members; law enforcement officers; correctional officers; or members of the Maryland National Guard — who died in the line of duty or who was rendered 100% disabled in the line of duty.
- A State or local public safety employee or volunteer who was rendered 100% disabled in the line of duty.
- Son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a school employee who, as the result of an act of violence, either died in the line of duty or suffered a line-of-duty injury that produced a 100% disability.

Residency requirement (and exceptions)
- Applicants must be Maryland residents at the time of application, except for the following individuals, who are eligible regardless of current residency:
- A son, daughter, stepson, or stepdaughter of any State or local public safety employee killed in the line of duty; or
- The surviving spouse of any State or local public safety employee killed in the line of duty (provided the spouse has not remarried); or
- A disabled public safety employee; or
- A son, daughter, stepson, or stepdaughter of a public safety employee who sustained a line-of-duty injury rendering that employee 100% disabled; or
- The surviving spouse of a public safety employee who sustained a line-of-duty injury rendering that employee 100% disabled (provided the spouse has not remarried).

How to apply and required paperwork
- New and renewal applicants should follow the application instructions provided by the financial aid office at the institution they will attend. Do not send applications or supporting documents to the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC).
- All required documentation must be submitted directly to the institution; students should not send documentation to MHEC.

Award information
- Awards depend on fund availability.
- Maximum award for the 2025–2026 academic year: $13,689.
- An award cannot exceed the equivalent annual tuition and mandatory fees charged to a resident, full‑time undergraduate at the four‑year public institution within the University System of Maryland (excluding the University of Maryland Global Campus and the University of Maryland, Baltimore) that has the highest annual cost for a resident full‑time undergraduate.
- For dependents or spouses of September 11, 2001 victims, the total of this scholarship plus any other scholarships awarded because of the student’s status as a child or spouse of a 9/11 victim may not exceed the cap described above.

Renewal and time limits
- Initial awards are renewed automatically by your institution’s financial aid office for the next academic year. Contact that office with any renewal questions.
- Scholarships may be used for up to five (5) years of full‑time study (12 or more credits per semester), or eight (8) years of part‑time study (6–11 credits per semester), or a combination of full‑ and part‑time enrollment that does not exceed those limits. Audited courses do not count toward the credit minimums for full‑ or part‑time status.