Educator's Legacy Scholarship

To honor and recognize the importance of excellent teaching, McDaniel College offers a scholarship of up to $120,000 ($30,000 annually) to the children of K-12 and community college educators who have at least four years of current employment in a school setting and are eligible for full-time benefits at their institutions. Any service in a K-12 school or community college qualifies as long as the employment is directly through the school or college — teachers, counselors, nurses, support staff, administrators — at least four years of service equals recognition with up to a four-year scholarship, based on the student’s status as freshman or transfer. Students are required to live on campus to receive the $30,000 scholarship. The scholarship award for students who are eligible to commute is $20,000 annually. Should a student move from resident to commuter status, the Legacy Scholarship will be reduced from $30,000 to $20,000.

Complete the Online Educator's Legacy Interest Form

Student interacting with child at the Boys and Girls Club in Westminster.

Eligibility Requirements

Who Can Apply?

Current high school seniors.
Undergraduate transfer students who enter McDaniel College for the first time and who have not yet attained a bachelor’s degree.
Parent or guardian must meet educator eligibility requirements and a completed Eligibility Form must be received by McDaniel College.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Your parent or guardian must be currently employed full time in K-12 education or at the community college level where they are directly employed by the college and receiving full-time benefits. Parents or guardians must have worked full time in education for a minimum of the past four consecutive school years. The expectation is that the parent is a full-time educator by profession and currently engaged in the field of education.

Any kind of service in a K-12 school or community college qualifies – faculty, staff, administrators – as long as the verification process is completed successfully. A completed Eligibility Form must be received by McDaniel College prior to acceptance for a student to qualify for the award.

This scholarship is designated for undergraduate students who are pursuing their first bachelor’s degree.

How to Apply

Complete the online Educator's Legacy Interest Form.
- Submission of the Interest Form will identify you as a potential Educator's Legacy recipient in the admissions office. Note: the Interest Form will ask if you would like to submit your Eligibility Form electronically. If yes, you will be asked to provide the contact information (name, title, email and phone) for the administrator or human resources official who can verify your employment. Your application for acceptance to McDaniel College will not be complete or reviewed until we receive your Eligibility Form.
Ensure your required Eligibility Form is submitted. The Eligibility Form can be submitted in two ways:
- Electronically: When completing the Interest Form, indicate that you would like to submit your Eligibility Form electronically. Upon submission, your administrator or human resources official will receive a secure link to an Eligibility Form. The completed form will be submitted directly to McDaniel College. Once it has been received, you will be notified and it will be checked off on your Personal McDaniel Admission Page.
- Form Download: Alternatively, you may download a copy of the Eligibility Form here. Take the form to your administrator or human resources official to complete and then submit directly to McDaniel College Office of Admissions (fax: 410-857-2757, email: admissions@mcdaniel.edu).
Submit The McDaniel Application or The Common Application for admission. Note that your application for admission will not be reviewed until your eligibility has been verified through the Eligibility Form.
Send a copy of your official transcript(s). Transfer students should refer to the Undergraduate Admissions page for additional information about supporting documents to complete the transfer admission requirements, including official transcripts from all colleges attended, and the Residential Student Release Form (if applicable).

WILL I RECEIVE OTHER MCDANIEL SCHOLARSHIPS AS WELL?

The Educator’s Legacy Scholarship is among the largest scholarships offered at McDaniel, and as a result, no additional scholarship — merit, music, summer science academy, Carroll County grant, etc. — will be added on top of an Educator’s Legacy Scholarship. This scholarship will replace any other smaller scholarship a student may have received prior to being awarded the Educator's Legacy Scholarship.

If a high school student recipient of the Educator’s Legacy Scholarship is invited to the campus to compete for the Dorsey Scholars Program or for Scholars on the Hill, then any new Presidential Scholarship or Dorsey Scholarship that may be received will completely replace the Educator’s Legacy Scholarship. These competitive programs offer awards ranging from $27,500 annually to full tuition, (or tuition room and board in the case of Dorsey Scholars), so it is possible to increase the value of the student’s merit award, but the scholarships are never added together. A student recipient receives the highest dollar-value scholarship for which he or she is eligible.

If you wish to pursue need-based assistance, then you should file the FAFSA after October 1 and have your results sent to McDaniel. Additional eligibility for need-based aid will be awarded in a McDaniel Financial Aid Award Letter.

HOW MANY RECIPIENTS WILL RECEIVE EDUCATOR’S LEGACY SCHOLARSHIPS AND WHAT IS THE VALUE?

If you complete the full admission process and are admitted to McDaniel, and you submit the appropriate criteria for the Educator’s Legacy Scholarship verification, then you will receive the ELS. There is no limit to the number of recipients each fall.

For a student residing on campus at McDaniel, the Educator’s Legacy Scholarship is valued at $30,000 annually for up to four years, a $120,000 value. Commuting students are eligible for an Educator’s Legacy Scholarship valued at $20,000 annually with a four-year value of $80,000. Should a student move from resident to commuter status, the Legacy Scholarship will be reduced from $30,000 to $20,000.

To retain the scholarship, you must maintain continuous full-time enrollment at McDaniel College for up to eight consecutive semesters or until completion of your bachelor's degree, whichever comes first.