EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0597*
SENATE BILL 597
F2 5lr2378
CF HB 704
By: Senators Corderman and McKay
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Higher Education – Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program 2
– Eligible Institutions 3
FOR the purpose of expanding eligibility under the Maryland Graduate and Professional 4
Scholarship Program to include certain students attending a certain institution in 5
the State; and generally relating to the Maryland Graduate and Professional 6
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 2024 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
(b) A recipient of a graduate and professional scholarship shall: 21
(1) Be a resident of the State; 22
2 SENATE BILL 597
(2) Demonstrate financial need according to criteria established by the 1
Commission; and 2
(3) Attend one of the following institutions: 3
(i) The University of Maryland School of: 4
1. Medicine; 5
2. Dentistry; 6
3. Law; 7
4. Pharmacy; or 8
5. Social Work; 9
(ii) The University of Baltimore School of Law; 10
(iii) The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; 11
(iv) Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine; 12
(V) THE MERITUS SCHOOL OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE; 13
[(v)] (VI) Any institution of higher education in the State offering a 14
master’s degree in nursing; 15
[(vi)] (VII) Any institution of higher education in the State offering a 16
master’s degree in social work; or 17
[(vii)] (VIII) Any institution of higher education in the State offering a 18
first professional degree in pharmacy. 19
(c) A graduate and professional scholarship award for a single school year may 20
not be less than $1,000 or more than $5,000. 21
(d) A recipient may not receive an award for longer than 8 semesters. 22
(e) (1) The Commission shall allocate grants for the Program to the 23
institutions of higher education specified in subsection (b)(3) of this section based on the 24
proportion of State residents enrolled in eligible programs at each institution. 25
(2) An institution of higher education that receives a grant under this 26
section shall provide the Commission with an annual audit describing the disposition of the 27
funds. 28
SENATE BILL 597 3
(f) The Commission shall: 1
(1) Establish guidelines for the awarding of graduate and professional 2
scholarships by the institutions of higher education to the students; and 3
(2) Adopt regulations necessary for the implementation of this section. 4
(g) Funds for the Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program shall 5
be as provided in the State budget. 6
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 7
1, 2025. 8