# COMAR Title 13B — Maryland Higher Education Commission ## Subtitle 08 — Financial Aid ### Chapter 07 — Near Completer Grant Program **Authority:** Education Article, §§11-105(u), 11-209, and 18-204(c), Annotated Code of Maryland **Administrative History:** Effective date: June 29, 2020 (47:13 Md. R. 642) #### Regulation .01 Program Established. *COMAR 13B.08.07.01* A. There is Near Completer Grant Program administered by the Office under Education Article, §11-209(d), Annotated Code of Maryland. B. The purpose of the program is to provide grants to individual students who are near completers as an incentive to obtain an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. #### Regulation .02 Definitions. *COMAR 13B.08.07.02* A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. B. Terms Defined. (1) “Commission” means the Maryland Higher Education Commission. (2) “Director” means the Executive Director of the Office. (3) “Grant” means a Near Completer Grant under this chapter. (4) “MDCAPS” means the Maryland College Aid Processing System maintained by the Office. (5) “Near completer” means an individual who has completed some college credits but does not have a college degree and is no longer attending an institution of higher education. (6) “Non-loan aid” means any student financial aid scholarship or grant applied to the student’s tuition and fee charges, excluding Title IV federal work-study. (7) “Office” means the Office of Student Financial Assistance within the Maryland Higher Education Commission. (8) “Public senior higher education institution” has the meaning stated in Education Article, §10-101(m), Annotated Code of Maryland. (9) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Higher Education. (10) “Senior higher education institution” means an institution of higher education that awards baccalaureate degrees. #### Regulation .03 Student Eligibility. *COMAR 13B.08.07.03* A. Subject to the availability of funds in the State budget, the Office annually shall determine student eligibility to receive a grant. B. A near completer who previously attended a community college is eligible for a grant if the applicant: (1) Earned at least 45 credit hours and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a scale of 4.0 while previously in college; (2) Is enrolled at a Maryland community college in an associate’s degree program; and (3) Is a Maryland resident or eligible for in-State tuition in accordance with Education Article, Title 15, Annotated Code of Maryland. C. A near completer who previously attended a senior higher education institution is eligible for a grant if the applicant: (1) Earned at least 90 credit hours and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a scale of 4.0 while previously in college; (2) Is enrolled at a Maryland public senior higher education institution in a bachelor’s degree program; and (3) Is a Maryland resident or eligible for in-State tuition in accordance with Education Article, Title 15, Annotated Code of Maryland. D. The number of previously earned credit hours that are accepted for transfer by the community college or public senior higher education institution in which the student is enrolled may not alter a student’s eligibility for the grant. #### Regulation .04 Application Process. *COMAR 13B.08.07.04* A. A student shall apply annually to the Office, in the form prescribed by the Office, to be eligible for a grant. B. An applicant shall submit an application, a copy of the applicant’s previous college or university transcript, and any other documentation required by the Office. C. All application materials shall be submitted to the Office by the deadline date established by the Office. #### Regulation .05 Selection of Recipients. *COMAR 13B.08.07.05* A. Eligible applicants shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the date on which all application materials are received by the Office. B. Awards shall be issued until the total funds appropriated for the program have been depleted. C. Eligible applicants who do not receive an award shall be notified that they have been placed on a waiting list and may receive an award if funds become available. #### Regulation .06 Amount of Grant. *COMAR 13B.08.07.06* A. All non-loan aid received by the applicant, except a Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship awarded under Education Article, Title 18, Subtitle 36, Annotated Code of Maryland, shall be credited to the applicant’s tuition before the calculation of the grant amount. B. A grant shall apply toward the student’s tuition in the lesser of: (1) The amount of the student’s unmet tuition; or (2) As applicable, up to one-third of: (a) The in-county tuition charge at a community college; or (b) The resident undergraduate tuition charge at a public senior higher education institution. C. If a student is not eligible for in-county tuition at a community college but is eligible for in-State tuition at a Maryland public institution of higher education, the award amount calculated under §B of this regulation shall be applied to the recipient’s out-of-county tuition charge. D. The grant may be used only for tuition and may not be used for fees or other charges or expenses related to attending an institution of higher education. #### Regulation .07 Award Notification and Acceptance. *COMAR 13B.08.07.07* A. Recipients shall be notified of an award by the Office through MDCAPS prior to the start of the fall semester. B. Except as set forth in §C of this regulation, a recipient shall log on to MDCAPS in order to accept an award. C. If the Director determines that extenuating circumstances exist, a recipient may accept an award by providing written notice to the Office. D. The acceptance deadline date shall be specified in the award notice and shall be no less than 4 weeks after the date the Office sent notice under §A of this regulation. E. An award recipient who fails to accept the award by the acceptance date specified in the award notice shall become ineligible for the award. #### Regulation .08 Certification and Payment. *COMAR 13B.08.07.08* A. The Office shall create a certification roster for each community college and public senior higher education institution. B. The certification roster shall contain the names of the applicants who have been identified by the Office as eligible for the grant. C. The institution shall complete the certification for each student by the date established by the Office. D. The institution shall: (1) Verify the applicant’s eligibility for in-State tuition under Education Article, Title 15, Annotated Code of Maryland; and (2) By the deadline date established by the Office, report: (a) The total amount of tuition being charged; and (b) All non-loan aid the applicant is receiving, regardless of whether the non-loan aid has been disbursed. E. After the institution reports all non-loan aid for each applicant, the institution shall electronically transmit the roster to the Office through MDCAPS. F. The Office shall make an award payment to the institution for each semester that the student is granted the award. G. The institution shall certify and request payment for all recipients, on a semester basis, on or before: (1) December 15, for the fall semester; and (2) May 15, for the spring semester. H. An institution that fails to certify and request payment for all recipients on a semester basis under §B may not certify recipients for the subsequent semester.