Scholarship Offers for Maryland Grads Set New Record

Class of 2017 Receives More Than $1.3 Billion in Offers

BALTIMORE – Maryland’s graduating class of 2017 received more than $1.327 billion in college scholarship offers, according to the results of a new Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) survey. This amount surpasses the class of 2015’s record total, which fell just short of $1.32 billion.

“Our administration would like to congratulate Maryland’s students for setting a new record for scholarship offers,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “The hard work and commitment of our students will help pave the way for even greater achievements in their postsecondary education and future career.”

Dr. Karen Salmon, State Superintendent of Schools, agreed that hard work is a hallmark of these recent graduates.

“Thanks to their dedication, our graduates are held in the highest regard by the nation’s colleges and universities,” said Dr. Karen Salmon, State Superintendent of Schools. “By setting a new record for scholarship offers, these students are helping ensure their success after high school. They deserve our admiration and our congratulations.”

The survey found that 18,206 Maryland graduates received scholarship offers last year, which accounted for about one-third of the graduating class of 56,702. Scholarships included 145 National Merit Finalists and 347 offers from Ivy League institutions.

Montgomery County received the highest total scholarship amount for its graduates, falling just under the $3.51 million mark with 4,161 students receiving at least one scholarship offer. Montgomery County is followed by Anne Arundel County with just over $1.56 million in scholarships and 1,579 students receiving at least one offer, and Baltimore County which had just under $1.54 million in scholarships and 2,116 students receiving at least one scholarship offer.

For more than a decade, MSDE has collected and analyzed data on college and university scholarship offers received by graduates. The total dollar amount of these offers has risen dramatically since 2007 when Maryland graduates received less than $500 million total in scholarship offers. Maryland graduate scholarship offers officially passed the $1 billion threshold for the first time in 2013.