Fund Your Education

When paying for their education, students can seek two primary forms of assistance - Scholarships and Financial Aid.

Generally speaking, scholarships are awards distributed or "won" by students on the basis of merit or need and do not require any repayment, while financial aid is a term that encompasses a variety of types of aid (grants, loans, work study) that students can receive based on need -- some, like loans, may require repayment. For more information on the types of aid available at UMD, visit this helpful website.

At the University of Maryland there are typically three levels of scholarships available to students, all managed independently. These "levels" refer to where the student is academically housed by what they are studying, with each level becoming more specific-- University --> Advising College --> Department/Major. If available, students may apply for and/or receive funds from any/all of these "levels".

In the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, we're extremely proud to have scholarships at the College- and Department- levels available to our students, and we are the only Advising College on UMD's Campus to offer our own Financial Aid program in addition to scholarships. Read on to learn about opportunities and apply!

Scholarship Opportunities

Through the generosity of alumni, industry partners, and friends of the college, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) offers scholarships to talented students who are enrolled in one of our academic majors. AGNR scholarships are awarded based on merit, scholarship application materials, and a variety of other factors. AGNR Awards between $600,000 and $700,000 annually from our over 75 different scholarship funds. We encourage all students in the College to apply for our awards each year!

If you have any questions, please contact our Program Director for Recruitment and Student Engagement, April Brohawn at agnrscholarships@umd.edu or abrohawn@umd.edu.

AGNR College-Level Scholarships (Annual)

The scholarship program for entering freshmen and Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA) students is competitive and based on academic merit, scholarship materials, and a variety of other factors.

The scholarship application for students who have been admitted as a Freshman or new IAA student for the 2024-2025 academic year is now closed.

The deadline to submit a New Freshman Scholarship application was March 3, 2024 at 11:59 pm. Students who submit a complete application by the deadline are automatically considered for every scholarship administered by AGNR for which they are eligible.

Notifications will be sent by April 1, 2024.

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 3rd deadline to apply should apply using the Current Student Scholarship application.

Scholarships for 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.

The Current/Transfer student application is NOW CLOSED for the academic year beginning Fall 2024. Applications were due by 11:59pm on May 15, 2024.

Newly admitted IAA or Freshmen are also eligible to apply if they did not receive a new student award or missed that application deadline.

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.

New Transfer students to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources are eligible to apply for scholarships using the Current Student Scholarship application.

The Current/Transfer student application is NOW CLOSED for the academic year beginning Fall 2024. Applications were due by 11:59pm on May 15, 2024.

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.

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.

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.

Additional AGNR Scholarship Opportunities & Resources

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

The AGNR Study Abroad Scholarship for students traveling in Summer and/or Fall 2023 is now closed.

This scholarship offers small scholarships to assist students in travel costs to participate in an Education Abroad experience.

Decisions for the Summer and Fall 2023 awards will be released by May 15.

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

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

External scholarship search engines:

University of Maryland National Scholarships Office (current students)

University of Maryland Office of Student Financial Aid

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.

Financial Aid Opportunities

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

Fund Your Education