Military & First Responder Legacy Scholarship

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 military eligibility requirements and a completed Eligibility Form must be received by McDaniel College.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Who is Eligible?

Your parent or guardian must be currently serving or honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces (active duty, National Guard, or Reserves) OR be currently employed full time as a first responder (law enforcement officer, career firefighter, or licensed EMT/paramedic) and receiving full-time employment benefits. Parents or guardians must have served or been employed full time in military or first responder service for a minimum of the past four consecutive years. The expectation is that the parent or guardian is employed in military service or public safety service as a profession and is currently engaged in the field. 

Any qualifying service in the U.S. Armed Forces or full-time employment as a law enforcement officer, career firefighter, or licensed EMS provider will meet eligibility requirements, 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. 

Children of service members or first responders who died in the line of duty are also eligible, regardless of years of service, with appropriate documentation. 

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

How to Apply:

1. Submit the Legacy Scholarship Eligibility Form along with your McDaniel Application or Common Application and supporting documents.
2. For Military verification, submit documentation (military ID card, a DD-214 form or verification form from the SCRA.) to confirm eligibility. There are several ways to submit your documentation:
   • Electronically: When completing the Eligibility Form, you will be given the opportunity to upload the DD-214 form or verification form from the SCRA. This is the preferred method of submission.
   • Direct Submission: Alternatively, you may submit a copy of the DD-214 form or verification form from the SCRA directly to McDaniel College Office of Admissions (fax: 410-857-2757, email: admissions@mcdaniel.edu).
   • In-person presentation of military ID card: When on campus, you may show your military ID card to an Admissions team member.
3. Submit The McDaniel Application or The Common Application for admission.
4. Send a copy of your official transcript(s).

WILL I RECEIVE OTHER McDANIEL SCHOLARSHIPS AS WELL?

The Military & First Responder 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 a Military & First Responder Legacy Scholarship. This scholarship will replace any other smaller scholarship a student may have received prior to being awarded the Military & First Responder Legacy Scholarship.

If a high school student recipient of the Military & First Responder 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 Military & First Responder Legacy Scholarship.

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 (beyond $25,000) will be awarded in a McDaniel Financial Aid Award Letter. Once a McDaniel Financial Aid Award Letter has been issued, no revisions will be made to add Military & First Responder Legacy Scholarships.

HOW MANY RECIPIENTS WILL RECEIVE MILITARY & FIRST RESPONDER 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 Military & First Responder Legacy Scholarship verification, then you will receive the MLS. There is no limit to the number of recipients each fall.

For a student residing on campus at McDaniel, the Military & First Responder Legacy Scholarship is valued at $33,000 annually for up to four years, a $132,000 value. Commuting students are eligible for an Military & First Responder Legacy Scholarship valued at $22,000 annually with a four-year value of $88,000. Should a student move from resident to commuter status, the Legacy Scholarship will be reduced from $33,000 to $22,000.

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.