ESSEX, MD – More Baltimore County residents will now have access to a debt-free college education, thanks to expanded eligibility for the Baltimore County College Promise Scholarship.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, with support from the Baltimore County Council, increased the income level that qualifies for the program from $85,000 to $150,000, allowing more middle-class residents the opportunity to attend Community College of Baltimore County free of tuition and fees.

“Education is my number one priority, and that doesn’t stop when students graduate from our public school system. Higher education can open countless doors of opportunities for our students, and that’s why we’re taking steps to expand access to the opportunities available at our community colleges,” Olszewski said.

The Baltimore County College Promise Scholarship has experienced tremendous growth since it was introduced in the spring of 2018. Last year, 111 scholarships were awarded. Today, there are nearly 400 Baltimore County College Promise scholarship recipients and that number continues to grow.

With the expanded income eligibility requirements, CCBC expects a boost in inquiries as well as qualified students.

“The increased income requirements is a real game-changer for Baltimore County residents,” said CCBC President Sandra Kurtinitis. “Too often middle-class Americans are left out of opportunities like this. Their income is too high to qualify for Pell grants; yet, too low to enable them to send their children to community college full-time. The Baltimore County College Promise Scholarship is allowing academically-prepared students the opportunity to earn a college education debt-free. We are fortunate to have legislators who believe in the importance of public higher education and are willing to invest dollars behind this life-changing program.”

Eligibility Requirements

In addition to the income requirement, other eligibility requirements include:

• Be a Baltimore County resident
• Have a GPA of 2.3 or higher
• Be a 2015 to 2019 high school or external diploma degree graduate
• Be enrolled full-time at CCBC (12 credits or more) 

Baltimore County College Promise scholarships cover all degree and certificate programs as well as select workforce training certification programs. The scholarship is calculated as a “last dollar in” award, meaning that it is applied after all other financial awards and state aid have been utilized.

Students can apply for the Baltimore County College Promise Scholarship throughout the year.

For complete application details, visit www.ccbcmd.edu/collegepromise.