Financial Resources
We understand that a 4 - year college degree is a costly journey. Please keep in mind these things to consider about financing your college journey. As always we encourage you to reach out to UMD's Office of Student Financial Aid at for any questions about your financial aid account. If you should need assistance contacting someone from that department please contact us at undoc@umd.edu so that we may try and connect you to someone in that office.
In order to begin to start figuring out the cost of attendance that you may have we encourage you to view the cost of tuition and fees for your academic year. It is important to note that most if not all higher education institutions raise the price of tuition each year by a certain percentage. Each year we encourage you to view that year's cost of attendance to stay accurately informed. Please also note that certain programs may have something called a tuition differential which means that you cost of tuition and fees will be higher than the average cost of fees for other programs. Degrees in the Business School, Public Policy, or Engineering have the differential costs. Please check with your program or program advisor in order to ask if your program is a part of the tuition differential.
- UMD cost of Attendance - Undergraduate
- Undergraduate Tuition and Fees for the Year
- Graduate Tuition Fees for the Year
It is crucial for undocumented students to know that the majority of undocumented students are considered out - of state- when accepted into UMD even if a student has in-county costs for their community college. This is important to note since out of state will mean that you will be charged out of state tuition rates unless you are able to qualify to adjust your status to in-state. In order to petition to be considered for instate please view the accordion labeled Residency Reclassification below.
Maryland State Financial Aid Application
Beginning September 2019, students regardless of their immigration status will be able to go to community college for free (if their families meet the income requirements determined by Maryland state and if the student meets eligibility criteria such as graduating from a Maryland high school). If someone qualifies for the Maryland Dream Act, they also qualify for Maryland state grants and scholarships depending on their parents income. However, they must submit the MHEC One App by MARCH 1 each year for the following year's consideration.
For example: If you are filling out the MHEC One App for the year 2025-2026, you will be required to submit your MHEC One App by March 1st of 2025.
To Create an MHEC One App account: Click Here.
To log in after the account is created: Click Here.
For information on the Maryland State Financial Aid Application go to their website here and take a look at the user guide here.
If you have specific questions about the MHEC One App we recommend you contact the State of Maryland's Student Financial Aid Office through the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). They host virtual appointments or can be reached by email osfamail.mhec@maryland.gov or phone at (410) 767-3300.
The Residency Reclass application, policies, and review is administered by the Residency Reclassification Office. If you are an undocumented student you will be classified as out of state.
If you are a student that would like to be considered for the Maryland Dream Act please review the requirements here.
If you are a student who has DACA please view the requirements for residency reclass here.
At the Office of Immigrant and Undocumented Student Life, we understand that the process of understanding and applying to in-state consideration can be complicated. If you are unsure where to start, we suggest you contact Residency Reclass and also feel free to contact us at undoc@umd.edu if you would like to talk to our coordinator about how to best support you through this process.
There are times where there are unexpected financial circumstances that make affording college difficult. Please review the options at UMD for those situations. Please note that these options are not a substitute for long-term tuition related expenses and are also not a guarantee that these sources of funding will be available as they are contingent upon funding source availability.
Being financially literate during and after college is crucial to staying on top of things. Below are a few resources to help you acquire the skills to take control of your finances.
- Budgeting: How to set up and follow a budget
- Borrowing: What is my credit score? Do I need a credit card?
- Maintenance of Credit: What is identity theft and how to prevent it?
- Spending: Money management tips
- Savings and Investing: How to choose and manage your bank account
- Fundraising: Are there special occasions or events coming up that could be opportunities to fundraise?
- M&T Financial Education mini workshops
Scholarships & Grants
Securing scholarships requires advanced planning. Many students inquire about scholarship opportunities during their current semester. Unfortunately, most scholarship funds for a specific academic year are already allocated by the time classes start. To increase your chances of receiving financial aid, it’s crucial to begin your scholarship search at least a year in advance. Treat the scholarship application process like a part-time job, dedicating consistent time and effort each month to find and apply for suitable opportunities.
Once you are accepted and have created a UID, you can create a Scholarship Universe Portal, which allows you to view internal UMD and external scholarships. Please note that you must check to see if you need eligibility criteria especially regarding immigration status requirements.
There is also, a great scholarship database that you can check routinely that is friendly towards immigrant students administered by Immigrants Rising. Please use discretion and check eligibility requirements when applying to scholarships from this site. Each month there are different scholarships that you can search on that database to determine what is applicable to you.
For students who are applying to the MHEC One App, we also highly encourage you to apply to the State of Maryland Delegate and Senatorial Scholarships available to you by your local officials. This is done by contacting your officials in your area of residence.
Securing grants requires advanced planning.
If you are awarded grants from MDCAPS/MHEC One App then I would encourage students to follow up with UMD's Office of Financial Aid to inquire about our Terrapin Commitment. This grant has historically been available to those that receive the MHEC One funding. Please note that funding year to year is not guaranteed so please discuss with a financial rep as soon as you are accepted into MHEC One App funding.