Howard P. Rawlings Guaranteed Access (GA) Grant

The Guaranteed Access Grant is Maryland's largest need-based award and is aimed at students from the lowest-income families. For 2026-27 the maximum is $18,000. In the first two years it covers up to 100 percent of the student's calculated adjusted financial need, up to that cap. First-time recipients must have total family income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, be eligible for in-state tuition, have finished high school or a GED, start college within six years of high school, be under 26 when first awarded and enroll full time in a degree program at a Maryland two-year or four-year college. The grant can be renewed for up to three more years if income stays at or below 150 percent of the poverty guidelines or the student remains Pell-eligible; recipients in their third year and beyond need 30 credits a year for a full renewal. Undocumented students who qualify for in-state tuition apply through the MHEC One-App. The 2026-27 filing deadline was March 1, 2026.