Fund Your Education

The scholarship program for students entering UMD as new students through the bachelors degree (new freshmen) or certificate programs (new IAA) is competitive and based on academic merit, scholarship materials, and a variety of other factors.

Students who submit a completed application by the deadline are automatically considered for every scholarship administered by AGNR for which they are eligible. Only students admitted to the University or the Institute of Applied Agriculture are eligible. 

Admitted students can access the New Student Scholarship Application through the Scholarship Universe platform. 

To access the Scholarship Universe platform, admitted students will first need to activate their Directory ID and set up the DUO multi-factor authorization as indicated in their Admitted Student Checklist. Directions can also be found here. It is important to note that setting up the Directory ID and MFA does not commit you to UMD/the IAA-- it simply allows you to access our student-only systems like Scholarship Universe. 

New Student Scholarship Application important dates:

• Application Opens: February 1
• Application Closes: March 1
• Notification of Awards: By April 1
• Deadline to Accept Award Offer: May 1

It is recommended that admitted students also visit their AGNR department's website for any additional scholarships that may be administered through private funds. 

Students receiving scholarships awarded by the University of Maryland Admissions Office are also eligible to apply. 

Newly admitted students who did not meet the March deadline to apply should apply using the Current Student Scholarship application. 

Scholarship Universe at UMD

Current students in AGNR and the IAA as well as newly admitted transfer students are eligible to apply for the annual scholarships offered by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources through our Current and New Transfer Student Scholarship Application on the university's Scholarship Universe platform. 

The Current Student and New Transfer Scholarship opens each spring for awards for the following academic year.

General Eligibility Requirements:

• Enrolled full-time in a major within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources - this includes AGNR hosted concentrations of the Environmental Science & Policy major

• Students must be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.25, preference will be given to students with a 3.0 or higher GPA.

Newly admitted IAA or Freshmen are also eligible to apply if they did not receive a new student award or missed that application deadline. To access the platform you will have needed to activate your Directory ID and enrolled in the Duo multi-factor authorization. 

Current and New Transfer Student Scholarship Application important dates for AY 2026-27:

• Application Opens: March 23, 2026
• Application Closes: April 17, 2026
• Notification of Awards: By July 1, 2026
• Deadline to Accept Award Offer: July 19, 2026

Applicants will be considered for every scholarship administered by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for which they are eligible. 

Notifications of awards will be released no later than July 1st each year. 

Access Scholarship Universe

Newly admitted transfer students are eligible to apply for the annual scholarships offered by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources through our Current and New Transfer Student Scholarship Application on the university's Scholarship Universe platform. 

The Current Student and New Transfer Scholarship opens each spring for awards for the following academic year.

General Eligibility Requirements:

• Enrolled full-time in a major within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources - this includes AGNR hosted concentrations of the Environmental Science & Policy major

• Students must be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.25, preference will be given to students with a 3.0 or higher GPA.

Newly admitted IAA or Freshmen are also eligible to apply if they did not receive a new student award or missed that application deadline. To access the platform you will have needed to activate your Directory ID and enrolled in the Duo multi-factor authorization. 

Current and New Transfer Student Scholarship Application important dates for AY 2026-27:

• Application Opens: March 23, 2026
• Application Closes: April 17, 2026
• Notification of Awards: By July 1, 2026
• Deadline to Accept Award Offer: July 19, 2026

Applicants will be considered for every scholarship administered by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for which they are eligible. 

Notifications of awards will be released no later than July 1st each year. 

Access Scholarship Universe

Many of the Academic Departments in the College of AGNR offer scholarships in addition to those offered at the University- and College- level. Some require applications, others may not-- many of these awards are reserved for upperclassmen.  Students should look for communications on scholarships from their academic advisors or ask at their advising meetings. 

Departments with published Scholarship information on their website are linked below. 

• Animal Sciences
• Environmental Science & Policy
• Environmental Science & Technology
• Institute of Applied Agriculture
• Plant Science & Landscape Architecture

Students will also be able to access Departmental Scholarships through the University's Scholarship Universe platform for awards beginning in AY 2026-27. 

It is strongly recommended that all current AGNR Students complete their profiles and use the University's Scholarship Universe platform. Scholarship Universe matches students based on their completed profiles to any number of over 12,000 vetted internal and external scholarship awards in their database that the student may qualify for. 

Newly admitted students will first need to activate their Directory ID and set up the DUO multi-factor authorization as indicated in their Admitted Student Checklist. Directions can also be found here. It is important to note that setting up the Directory ID and MFA does not commit you to UMD/the IAA-- it simply allows you to access our student-only systems like Scholarship Universe. 

This fund was established to provide support for students pursuing opportunities beyond the classroom to connect their academic pursuits to the real world and equip them to be career-ready professionals. Our priority funding areas include helping to cover costs of attending professional conferences or institutes, supporting students who are working unpaid internships, and creating access to other career and leadership development experiences. 

The Experiential Learning Fund is open year-round with applications being reviewed at the first of each month. Students may apply for up to $500 each semester. Students are eligible to apply providing they meet the following criteria:

• Students must be enrolled in a major within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources --
  • ENSP students with a declared concentration housed in BSOS or CMNS are unfortunately not eligible
  • Preference is given to undergraduate students pursuing their first bachelor's degree or a Certificate in Applied Agriculture
• Students must apply individually, not as a group or club
• Students must currently be, and remain, in good academic standing and be making progress towards their degree
• Students must have at least one academic semester remaining prior to graduation to receive support

Apply now at the link below. Applications will be reviewed monthly. 

AGNR Experiential Learning Fund Application

Beginning in March 2026, the Experiential Learning Fund Application will move to the University's Scholarship Universe platform. 

The AGNR Study Abroad Scholarship for students traveling in  the 2025-26 Academic Year is now open. 

Current students in AGNR and the IAA should use this application to apply for the Study Abroad Scholarships offered by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. This includes the Donald Leishear International Program Fund, and the John R. and Marjorie C. Moore International Agriculture and Natural Resources Student Travel Endowment.

To prepare for this application, you will be asked to respond to a series of short answer questions and be required to upload a copy of your resume/CV that focuses on your involvements and work experience post-high school.

General Eligibility Requirements:
 

• Enrolled full-time in a major within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Students must be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.25, preference will be given to students with a 3.0 or higher GPA.

Specific Award Preferences:
 

• John R. and Marjorie C. Moore International Agriculture and Natural Resources Student Travel Endowment – Preference is given to Maryland residents from traditional agricultural backgrounds.
• Donald Leishear International Program Fund – Preference will be given to students traveling to underdeveloped regions.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis in line with education abroad program deadlines. 

Apply Today

If you have any questions, please contact April Brohawn at agnrscholarships@umd.edu or  abrohawn@umd.edu. 

Beginning in March 2026, the AGNR Study Abroad Application will move to the University's Scholarship Universe platform. 

See below for links to helpful resources when exploring funding opportunities. 

External Scholarship Opportunities:

• US Department of Agriculture Scholarship Programs
• Maryland 4-H Foundation Scholarships*
• FFA Scholarships - National, Maryland
• Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (MAEF):
  • MAEF Scholarships
  • MAEF Listing of Industry Scholarships

For Maryland Residents: 

• Maryland Higher Education Consortium State Financial Assistance (MD Residents Only)*
• Maryland State Delegate Scholarships*
• Maryland Senatorial Scholarships*
• Maryland Farm Bureau Scholarships*
• Maryland State Fair Scholarships *
• Central Scholarship Scholarship Opportunities

University-Specific Resources:

• University of Maryland National Scholarships Office (current students)
• University of Maryland Office of Student Financial Aid

Loan Resources:

• Acceducate - Interest-Free Loans for Muslim Students
• For Lancaster County, PA Residents: Lancaster Dollars Loans
• Central Scholarship - Interest-Free Loans (MD Residents)
• Bill Raskob Foundation Interest Free Loans
• Evalee C. Schwarz Charitable Trust Loan Program
• International Association of Jewish Free Loans
• MOAA Charities Educational Assistance Program for Children of Military Families

External scholarship search engines:

• BigFuture
• Cappex
• College Board Opportunity Scholarship
• Edvisors
• FastWeb

*Students from outside of the state of Maryland are encouraged to contact their local/state counterpart to these groups to inquire about possible scholarship opportunities as many exist! 

For a listing of active external scholarships, visit the AGNR Undergraduate Blog 
 

If you are experiencing a hardship or other emergency financial need, please see the information above regarding opportunities at the University level through the UMD Student Crises Fund and Office of Student Financial Aid. 

Additionally, if you are a Maryland Resident, we encourage you to apply for the Catherine M. Brinkley Fund loan program. We're accepting applications on a rolling basis. 

Students may also contact AGNRScholarships@umd.edu at any time to speak to a staff member about the possibility of internal emergency funds. 

It is strongly recommended that all current AGNR Students complete their profiles and use the University's Scholarship Universe platform. Scholarship Universe matches students based on their completed profiles to any number of over 12,000 vetted internal and external scholarship awards in their database that the student may qualify for. 

The Catherine M. Brinkley fund provides interest-free loans to students who are natives or residents of Maryland pursuing majors in the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. Students may download the application. The Office of Financial Aid determines eligibility and award distribution and you must have submitted the FAFSA.

Please submit your application by July 31st to ensure that you receive your financial aid package before Fall classes begin. Applications received by that deadline will have decisions sent in early August. Applications are no longer reviewed on a rolling basis so if you have questions about the deadline or notification timelines, please contact April Brohawn at agnrscholarships@umd.edu. 

Completed forms can be emailed to agnrscholarships@umd.edu. At this time all applications need to be submitted electronically.

Loan terms are:

• Amount is not to exceed the limit on financial need determined by your FAFSA application.

• Repayment begins 9 months after ceasing to be at least a half-time student at the University of Maryland and ending 10 years later.

• Monthly payments for the first two years of repayment will be $25.

• The remaining payments will be fully amortized over the final eight years.

• If the loan is not paid in full by 10 years, a 5% annual finance charge will be assessed on the unpaid balance.

• Revenue from loan repayments will be returned to this fund to assist other students in achieving their academic goals.

Download the Catherine M. Brinkley Loan Application

Students enrolled in degree and non-degree (IAA) certificate programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources may be eligible for federal or state financial aid. Financial Aid at the University of Maryland is managed through the Office of Student Financial Aid and is dependent on the submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA - for children of undocumented immigrants). 

Some state-based aid requires that students file supplemental paperwork in addition to the FAFSA. Please visit Maryland Higher Education Commission to explore state-based aid options and for information on how to apply to the available programs.

State-based financial aid programs through MHEC

New, current, and guest UMD students must follow certain steps to use their VA Education Benefit to support their educational goals at the University of Maryland. 

To learn about these steps and get started, please use the link below. 

Using VA Benefits at UMD