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St. Mary's (MD) scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$35,396per year · 2025-2026 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

St. Mary's (MD) may be worth checking, but its awards do not follow a simple grades-and-scores chart. Start with the published scholarships below.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
2 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. Trustee, Presidents, Excellence Scholarships, and National Honors Award$2,000-$18,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Trustee, Presidents, Excellence Scholarships, and National Honors Award

    $2,000-$18,000

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Typically cumulative unweighted GPA exceeding 3.0
    SAT
    Typically combined SAT 1100 or higher
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Trustee, Presidents, Excellence Scholarships, and National Honors Award

    Who qualifies

    Typically rank in top 20% of class; all students considered upon submitting the admission application, no extra steps

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to four years (8 semesters, fall and spring). Must maintain at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA and be registered full-time (12 graded credits) per semester.

    Worth knowing

    Holistic award, no published GPA/test grid. Amounts are residency-scaled: $2,000-$6,000 for Maryland & DC residents; $6,000-$18,000 for non-Maryland residents, per academic year. Merit amounts are tied to residency/tuition rate; the College reserves the right to recalculate based on tuition changes.

  2. SMCM National Merit Finalist Scholarship (Monument Scholars)$2,000-Full tuition and mandatory feesNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    SMCM National Merit Finalist Scholarship (Monument Scholars)

    $2,000-Full tuition and mandatory fees

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    SAT
    Submit test scores as part of admission
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for SMCM National Merit Finalist Scholarship (Monument Scholars)

    Who qualifies

    National Merit Finalist; admitted to SMCM; designate SMCM as college choice to NMSC by May 31; submit enrollment deposit by application-plan due date

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to four years / eight consecutive semesters. All recipients must live on campus.

    Worth knowing

    MD/DC residents: $2,000 up to full tuition and mandatory fees. Outside MD/DC: $4,000 up to full tuition and mandatory fees. Offered by March 15. IMPORTANT: 'may replace any other merit awards and may result in a change to previously awarded need-based funding' (displacement). Recipients designated Monument Scholars.

  3. Transfer Student Scholarships (+ Honors Scholarship)$1,000-$15,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Transfer Student Scholarships (+ Honors Scholarship)

    $1,000-$15,000

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Typically cumulative college GPA exceeding 3.0; PTK 3.25+ or college Honors Program 3.5+ for the Honors Scholarship
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Transfer Student Scholarships (+ Honors Scholarship)

    Who qualifies

    Competitive; outstanding college grades

    How to keep it

    Per general SMCM merit renewal: up to 4 years (8 sem), 3.0 cumulative GPA, full-time.

    Worth knowing

    Residency-scaled: $1,000-$6,000/yr in-state; $5,000-$15,000/yr out-of-state. Phi Theta Kappa members (3.25+) or college honors-program members (3.5+) receive an additional $1,000-$2,000 Honors Scholarship.

  4. Baltimore City ScholarshipFull tuition (merit + need)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Baltimore City Scholarship

    Full tuition (merit + need)

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum 3.5 high school GPA
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Baltimore City Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Permanent Baltimore City resident 12+ months before matriculating; first-year first-time; FAFSA; AGI under $75,000

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to 8 semesters; maintain full-time enrollment, cumulative 3.0 GPA, and reside on campus.

    Worth knowing

    Equivalent of a full-tuition scholarship combining merit and need-based funding (income-gated at AGI <$75,000). Total gift aid (SMCM merit + need + outside) cannot exceed direct tuition, fee, room, and board; aid is adjusted down if exceeded.

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The fine print

Renewal ruleTrustee, Presidents, Excellence Scholarships, and National Honors Award: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable up to four years (8 semesters, fall and spring). Must maintain at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA and be registered full-time (12 graded credits) per semester. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Aid capHard $35,396 cost-of-attendance ceiling

Institutional aid at St. Mary's (MD) cannot push the package past $35,396. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What makes St. Mary's (MD) different

Maryland's public honors college awards holistic, residency-scaled merit (Trustee/Presidents/Excellence/National Honors), with non-Maryland students eligible for up to triple the dollar value — but a hard COA/anti-stacking cap means awards can't exceed billable charges. (DRAFT)

Merit tiers4See who qualifies
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Selection beyond grades and scores

Start with the selection process.

These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.

  1. Read the selection rules

    Look for the school's stated criteria and whether an additional application is needed.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take St. Mary's (MD)'s decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. Tuition waivers + institutional scholarships cannot exceed billable charges; institutional scholarships are reduced when the combination exceeds billable charges, so excess merit does not become a cash stipend.

  2. The National Merit Finalist award 'may replace any other merit awards and may result in a change to previously awarded need-based funding' — it can substitute for, not simply add to, prior offers.

  3. Merit dollar ranges are residency-scaled (MD/DC $2,000-$6,000 vs non-MD $6,000-$18,000), and merit is tied to your tuition rate; the College can recalculate amounts if tuition changes.

  4. All SMCM National Merit recipients must live on campus to receive the award; commuting forfeits it.

  5. National Merit Finalists must designate SMCM as their college choice to NMSC by May 31 (and submit the enrollment deposit) to confirm the award; updated offers go out by March 15.

  6. All SMCM merit scholarships renew for up to 8 semesters only if you keep a cumulative 3.0 GPA and stay full-time (12 graded credits) each semester.

  7. The Baltimore City full-tuition-equivalent award requires AGI under $75,000 and a FAFSA, and total gift aid (including outside scholarships) cannot exceed direct tuition/fee/room/board.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Strong students (top 20%, 3.0+ unweighted GPA, ~1100+ SAT) win automatic merit; out-of-state applicants get the largest dollar awards, and National Merit Finalists who live on campus and designate SMCM can reach up to full tuition + fees. (DRAFT)

Published yearly cost: Approximately $35,396 for 2025-2026. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at St. Mary's (MD), what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at St. Mary's (MD), academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$2,889
$30,001–$48,000$12,053
$48,001–$75,000$15,033
$75,001–$110,000$19,796
$110,001+$25,173
All income levels (average)$18,441

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$15,298
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$31,374
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$18,441

That works out to roughly a 42% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $31,865 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

St. Mary's (MD) is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
70%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
86%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$21,000 (~$223/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$60,110
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
22%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
46%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Hard anti-stacking / COA cap: tuition waivers plus institutional scholarships cannot exceed billable charges; institutional scholarships are reduced when the combination exceeds billable charges (no cash stipend from excess merit). For the Baltimore City award, total gift aid including outside funding cannot exceed direct tuition/fee/room/board.

The College also reserves the right to recalculate any scholarship amount based on changes in tuition charged. National Merit awards may replace other merit awards and affect need-based funding.

Source

Other St. Mary's (MD) scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

AmountFull tuition, general fees, room, and boardEligibilityHigh financial need (FAFSA/Pell), in-state residency (priority Baltimore-area); 4 new students/year; mentoring + 12 hrs volunteering commitment

Application required upon acceptance; need-based, renewable 3 years at 3.0 GPA.

Source

Amount$7,500 per yearEligibilityOutstanding achievement in CS/math/physics; Tri-County area (preference St. Mary's County); first-year 3.0+ GPA & 1200 SAT/25 ACT or transfer AA/3.0; US citizen

Application required; renewable 3 years at 3.0 GPA.

Source

Amount$3,000 per yearEligibility10 first-year/transfer students; preference to SMCM staff (excluding senior admin) or their dependents

Renewable 3 years at 3.0 GPA.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityStudents who did NOT receive an entrance scholarship and completed 32+ credits in year one with strong GPA; competitive

Second-chance merit award after a strong first year.

Source

St. Mary's (MD) merit aid FAQ

  • Do I need a separate application for merit scholarships?

    No. All students are considered for merit-based scholarships upon submitting the application for admission — no additional steps are required.

  • What is the National Merit award and its deadline?

    MD/DC residents: $2,000 up to full tuition and mandatory fees; outside MD/DC: $4,000 up to full tuition and fees. Updated offers are made by March 15; Finalists must designate SMCM as their college choice to NMSC by May 31 and submit the enrollment deposit.

  • Can my scholarship plus other aid exceed my bill?

    No. Tuition waivers and institutional scholarships cannot exceed billable charges; institutional scholarships are reduced when the combination exceeds billable charges. For the Baltimore City award, total gift aid (including outside funding) cannot exceed direct tuition/fee/room/board.

  • How long do merit scholarships last?

    Up to four years (8 fall/spring semesters), provided you keep a cumulative 3.0 GPA and remain full-time (12 graded credits) per semester.

See sources and other schools

How St. Mary's (MD) compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    St. Mary's (MD) is in a recognizable cluster (235 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    St. Mary's (MD) is one of them. The cohort minority (84 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

  • 132 of 749 verified schools publish a dedicated National Merit Finalist package.

    St. Mary's (MD) is one of them. NMF packages typically carry their own stacking and renewal carve-outs separate from the standard automatic merit ladder; confirm those before assuming the headline NMF value is final.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against St. Mary's (MD)’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring St. Mary's (MD) merit aid

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