Chapter 20. Cybersecurity Public Service Scholarship Program
Regulation .01 Program Established.LinkCopy Citation
There is a Cybersecurity Public Service Scholarship Program, which is administered by the Office pursuant to Education Article, Title 18, Subtitle 35, Annotated Code of Maryland.
Regulation .02 Definitions.LinkCopy Citation
A.
In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.
B.
Terms Defined.
(1)
“Commission” means the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
(2)
“Cybersecurity program” means a credit-bearing degree or certificate program that:
(a)
Is approved by the Commission under Education Article, §11-206, Annotated Code of Maryland; and
(b)
Has been identified by the Secretary as directly relevant to cybersecurity and published on the Commission website.
(3)
“Director” means the Executive Director of the Office.
(4)
“Education expenses” mean:
(a)
Tuition and mandatory fees;
(b)
Costs of room and board.
(5)
“Eligible institution” means:
(a)
A community college in the State;
(b)
A public senior higher education institution in the State; or
(c)
A private nonprofit institution of higher education in the State that:
(i)
Is approved to operate by the Commission under Education Article §11-202, Annotated Code of Maryland; or
(ii)
May operate without a Certificate of Approval from the Commission under §11-202.1 (a), Annotated Code of Maryland.
(6)
“Extenuating circumstances” mean a documented disability, including pregnancy, or a documented extended illness, that prevents a recipient from fulfilling a scholarship requirement.
(7)
“Full-time” means:
(a)
Enrollment at an eligible institution at least 12 credits per semester in a certificate or undergraduate degree program; at the time of certification of the Scholarship; or
(b)
Classification by an eligible institution as a full-time student in a graduate certificate, graduate degree, or doctoral degree program at the time of certification of the Scholarship.
(8)
“Local Educational Agency” has the meaning stated in 20 U.S.C. §1401 (19).
(9)
“Office” means the Office of Student Financial Assistance within the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
(10)
“Part-time” means:
(a)
Enrollment at an eligible institution in at least 6 credits, but fewer than 12 credits, per semester in an undergraduate certificate or degree program at the time of certification of the Scholarship; or
(b)
Classification by an eligible institution as a part-time student in a graduate certificate or degree program at the time of certification of the Scholarship:
(11)
“Secretary” means the Secretary of Higher Education.
(12)
“Scholarship” means a Cybersecurity Public Service Scholarship under this chapter.
Regulation .03 Student Eligibility.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Subject to the State budget, the Office annually shall determine a student’s eligibility to receive a scholarship.
B.
An applicant is eligible for a scholarship if the applicant:
(1)
Is enrolled full-time or part-time at an eligible institution in a cybersecurity program;
(2)
Has earned a minimum of 25 percent of the credits required to complete the cybersecurity program;
(3)
Has maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
(4)
Has not received a federal CyberCorps Scholarship for Service, regardless of whether the applicant has applied for a federal CyberCorps Scholarship for Service;
(5)
Either:
(a)
Attends a public eligible institution, and has been determined eligible for in-State tuition by the institution; or
(b)
Attends a private nonprofit eligible institution, and would qualify for in-State tuition under the provisions of Education Article, Title 15, Annotated Code of Maryland; and
(6)
Timely files an application and any required supporting documentation with the Office.
Regulation .04 Application Process.LinkCopy Citation
A.
A student shall apply annually to the Office to be eligible for a scholarship in the form prescribed by the Office.
B.
Time of Submission. An application and required documentation received by the Office after July1 is untimely and shall not be considered.
C.
An applicant shall submit the following required documentation:
(1)
Copy of the applicant’s official college or university transcript;
(2)
Proof from the eligible institution that the applicant is enrolled full-time and is within 3 years from graduation in a cybersecurity program, or is enrolled part-time and is within 6 years from graduation in a cybersecurity program; and
(3)
Certification from the institution that the applicant has not received or applied for a Federal CyberCorps Scholarship for Service.
Regulation .05 Scholarship Renewal.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Subject to Regulation .06 of this chapter, a scholarship shall be renewed for a subsequent year if the applicant continues to meet the requirements of Regulation .03 of this chapter.
B.
A recipient enrolled full-time may receive a scholarship for a maximum of 3 years.
C.
A recipient enrolled part-time may receive a scholarship for a maximum of 6 years.
Regulation .06 Amount of Scholarship.LinkCopy Citation
A.
An annual scholarship for a full-time student shall be in the amount prescribed by the Director, and shall be appropriately prorated by the Director for the part-time status of the recipient.
B.
The amount of an annual scholarship may not exceed the recipient’s education expenses.
Regulation .07 Selection and Notification of Recipients.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Renewal Awards. Priority of scholarships shall be given to prior year recipients who remain eligible under Regulation .05 of this chapter.
B.
If funds remain after awards are made to students under §A of this regulation, eligible applicants shall be ranked on the basis of cumulative grade point average.
C.
Grades for credits earned for an applicant attending a public or private nonprofit institution 3 years prior to graduation shall be used to calculate the cumulative grade point average.
D.
Awards shall be made to applicants based on cumulative grade point average ranked highest to lowest. Awards shall be issued until the total funds appropriated for the program have been depleted.
E.
Recipients shall be notified through the Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS) of the scholarship awards.
F.
A recipient shall accept the award online through MDCAPS by the date specified in the award notice, or the award shall be forfeited.
G.
Eligible applicants who do not receive an award shall be notified and placed on a waiting list and considered if funds become available.
Regulation .08 Verification and Payment.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Verification. The Office shall verify that the applicant:
(1)
Meets the grade point average requirement;
(2)
Is:
(a)
Enrolled full-time and is within 3 years from graduating in a cybersecurity program,or
(b)
Enrolled part-time and is within 6 years from graduating in a cybersecurity program; and
(3)
Is not a recipient of a Federal CyberCorps Scholarship for Service award.
B.
Payment. Eligible institutions shall certify on billing rosters provided by the Office that the recipient is:
(1)
Eligible for in-State tuition;
(2)
Maintaining a grade point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
(3)
Enrolled full-time or part-time in a cybersecurity program;
(4)
Maintaining satisfactory academic progress toward a degree; and
(5)
Maintaining the standards of the institution.
Regulation .09 Scholarship Conditions and Service Requirement.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Full-Time Employment. For purposes of this regulation, “full-time employment” means employment for at least 35 hours per week.
B.
Use of Scholarship. A scholarship shall be used solely for education expenses to attend an eligible institution.
C.
As a precondition of receiving a scholarship, a recipient shall provide a promissory note and shall enter into a written agreement with the Commission, in the form and manner prescribed by the Office, requiring the recipient to:
(1)
Earn credit as a full-time or part-time student;
(2)
Complete the cybersecurity program for which the recipient received the scholarship; and
(3)
Perform the service obligation described in §D of this regulation.
D.
Service Obligation.
(1)
For each semester that the recipient receives a scholarship, the recipient shall, for the time period specified in this section:
(a)
Maintain full-time employment in the State in the cybersecurity field for a:
(i)
Local educational agency;
(ii)
Public high school;
(iii)
Community college; or
(iv)
A unit of State, county, city or municipal government; or
(b)
Teach full-time in the State in an education program that is directly relevant to cybersecurity in a:
(i)
Public high school; or
(ii)
Community college.
(2)
A full-time student shall perform the service obligation for 6 months for each semester the student received the scholarship.
(3)
A part-time student shall perform the service obligation for 3 months for each semester the student received the scholarship.
(4)
Regardless of whether a recipient was enrolled as a full-time student or part-time student, the work obligation for the recipient shall not exceed 3 years for full-time employment.
Regulation .10 Failure to Meet Conditions of Scholarship.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Except as provided in §C of this regulation, if the recipient breaches the terms or conditions of the agreement or note under Regulation .09 of this chapter, including the failure to perform the service obligation, the scholarship shall convert to a student loan payable to the State.
B.
Interest on the loan shall be charged at an interest rate equal to the interest rate established by the United States Department of Education for the Federal Stafford Loan on the first day of July of each year.
C.
Interest may not accrue prior to notification to the Office of a recipient’s graduation or termination from an institution of higher education.
D.
Repayment may be prorated if the recipient partially fulfills the service obligation.
E.
Except as otherwise provided in this regulation, repayment shall be made to the State within 6 years after the repayment period begins, and shall follow a repayment schedule established by the Office.
Regulation .11 Deferment of the Service Obligation and Repayment.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Recipients shall seek eligible employment aggressively within the State.
B.
A recipient may request that the service obligation be deferred during the time the recipient is:
(1)
Enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate course of study that would further their career in cybersecurity, at any institution of higher education in the State;
(2)
On a temporary leave of absence, approved by the employer in the required employment field, for a period not to exceed 12 months;
(3)
Temporarily disabled in a manner that substantially impairs the recipient’s ability to perform the service obligation, for a period not to exceed 3 years;
(4)
Unable to maintain employment, for a period not to exceed 12 months, because the recipient must care for a spouse or child who is disabled;
(5)
Assigned military duty outside of the State, not to exceed 4 years; or
(6)
Married to a spouse assigned military duty outside of the State, not to exceed 4 years.
C.
A recipient’s deferment request shall include satisfactory supporting documentation, consisting of the following, as appropriate:
(1)
Certification by the institution that the recipient has returned to a full-time or part-time course of study at an institution of post-secondary education in the State;
(2)
Certification by the employer that the recipient is on a temporary approved leave of absence;
(3)
A sworn affidavit by a qualified physician that the recipient is temporarily disabled in a manner that substantially impairs the recipient’s ability to perform the service obligation;
(4)
A sworn affidavit by a qualified physician that the recipient is unable to maintain employment because the recipient must care for a spouse or child who is disabled; or
(5)
A copy of military orders.
D.
The Office shall review all documentation, determine if the deferment conditions have been met and, if so, determine the deferment period.
E.
During the period of an approved deferment, a recipient need not make scholarship repayments and interest does not accrue.
Regulation .12 Waiver of the Service Obligation and Repayment.LinkCopy Citation
The Office shall waive a recipient's service and repayment obligations if it determines:
A.
On the basis of a sworn affidavit of 2 qualified physicians, that the recipient is permanently unable to fulfill the service obligation, on a full-time or part-time basis, because of a permanent impairment; or
B.
On the basis of a death certificate or other evidence of death that is conclusive under State law, that the recipient has died.
Regulation .13 Determinations of the Office.LinkCopy Citation
Decisions of the Office under this chapter regarding award eligibility, recipient selection, and deferment or waiver of the service obligation are final and not subject to additional review.
Chapter annotations
Authority: Education Article, §§11-105(u), 18-204(c), 18-3503, and 18-3506, Annotated Code of Maryland
History: Effective date: March 25, 2019 (46:6 Md. R. 347)
History: Regulation .02B amended effective November 18, 2019 (46:23 Md. R. 1067); January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .03B amended effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .04C, D amended effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .05 amended effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .06 amended effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .07 amended effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .08 amended effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .09C, D amended effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .10 amended effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .11B amended effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .11F repealed effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)
History: Regulation .13 amended effective January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 24)