UMD Dean’s Scholarship Grant

UMD Dean’s Scholarship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: University of Maryland
Amount: Up to US $4,500
Last Updated: October 05, 2025

Summary

The UMD Dean's Scholarship is a competitive undergraduate award for selected students, covering up to four consecutive semesters. To maintain eligibility, recipients must enroll in at least 12 credits per semester and achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20, completing 30 credits each academic year. The scholarship funds are restricted to specific semesters and cannot be applied toward graduate studies. Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA for additional financial aid opportunities.

Overview

Dean’s Scholarship Policy The Dean's Scholarship is an undergraduate scholarship awarded to a group of selected students for a maximum of either up to two (2) or four (4) consecutive semesters. Students must remain in compliance with scholarship policies, as outlined in this document, and with the University of Maryland Code of Academic Integrity. Administration of Funds Refunds will not be available until the student has registered for a minimum of 12 credits (waitlisted courses do not count), and all university charges incurred on their student account have been paid. Every effort will be made to have refunds available during the first week of classes, however, the student should make alternate arrangements to purchase books or pay rent if necessary.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Recipients of this scholarship mustregister for a minimum of 12 credits per semester,maintain a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average (GPA), andsuccessfully complete 30 credits per academic year. The student should average 15 credits per semester over the fall and spring semesters to meet the 30 credit requirements. Use of Scholarship FundsThe scholarship funds are designated for fall and spring semesters and cannot be used for other semesters or terms without prior approval and often with restrictions.The scholarship may only be applied toward a student's undergraduate degree.Cumulative GPA RequirementThe student must maintain a minimum 3.20 cumulative GPA. The GPA used for this review is not rounded. Therefore, a 3.199 does not equal a 3.20 cumulative GPA. OSFA will review the cumulative GPA at the conclusion of each fall and spring semester.The student may take courses on campus during the winter and summer terms to bring up their cumulative GPA, but the scholarship does not cover the cost of winter and summer courses. If the scholarship was canceled, and the student subsequently raises their GPA to a 3.20 or higher, the student may submit a request for reinstatement of the scholarship. The student is given only one probationary semester for the duration of their scholarship eligibility.Annual Credit Completion RequirementThe student must successfully complete 30 credits per academic year. For the purposes of this policy, successful completion of a course is defined as any course in which a grade of +/- A, B, C, D, S, or P is received.Although a student may retake courses under the University's repeat policy, credits earned for a repeated course may only be counted once toward the annual 30 credit requirement. Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and other pre-college credits are not counted towards the 30 credit requirement. Audited and waitlisted courses do not count toward the credit completion requirement.The academic year is defined as beginning with the fall semester, followed by the winter term, followed by the spring semester and concludes with the summer terms.Receipt of More Than One AwardStudents may receive only one of the following scholarships:Banneker/Key Scholarship,Frederick Douglass Scholarship,Maryland Transfer Scholarship,President's Scholarship, orDean's Scholarship.These scholarships may not be combined with one another. They can, however, be combined with other grants and scholarships.WithdrawalsA student who fully withdraws and receives a refund for tuition, mandatory fees, room or board may have their scholarship adjusted during the semester of the withdrawal.To maintain scholarship eligibility, the student that partially or fully withdraws from the fall or spring semester(s) is still required to successfully complete 30 credits per academic year.Non-Standard ProgramsIf a student plans to participate in a university-sponsored Study Abroad Program, Co-op or any other non-standard academic program, they must obtain prior approval from their program advisor and submit that approval to OSFA. With prior approval, the student may receive the Dean’s Scholarship during the university-sponsored Study Abroad Program.For approved Co-op programs, the student may defer receipt of the Dean’s Scholarship.

Ineligibility

Dean's Scholarship policy recipients who graduate from their undergraduate program early cannot receive the unused portion of their scholarship money in cash, apply the unused funding from a full academic year in their last semester or use it for graduate school/any graduate portion of a combined bachelor's/master's program.In the event the student fails to maintain a 3.20 cumulative GPA, the student will have one probationary semester to raise their GPA.After the probationary semester, if the student's cumulative GPA is again below a 3.20, the scholarship will be canceled for any future semesters.The student may take courses on or off-campus during the winter and summer terms to make up any necessary credits, but the scholarship does not cover the cost of these courses. In the event the student fails to successfully complete 30 credits each academic year, the scholarship will be canceled for any future semesters.There is no probationary term for failure to successfully complete 30 credits per academic year.The total of all aid a student receives cannot exceed the cost of attendance. Should a student receive funds above the cost of attendance, as determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA), their Dean’s Scholarship will be reduced. A Dean’s Scholar who also serves as a Resident Assistant (RA) will receive a reduced Dean’s Scholarship as the room, and board charges will be offset from their cost of attendance. A student who partially withdraws (drops a class with a W) will not receive a scholarship adjustment during the semester of the partial withdrawal as long as they attempted full-time status.