Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Maryland Higher Education Commission

Overview

The Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship and the Jean B. Cryor Memorial Scholarship offer tuition assistance to certain Maryland students whose eligibility is based on qualifying military, public safety, or school-employee service — or on a qualifying family or marital relationship to such individuals.

- The Conroy Scholarship assists Maryland residents who qualify because of military service or their relationship to someone who qualifies through military or public safety service.
- The Cryor Scholarship provides support to eligible children and surviving spouses of school employees who, as victims of an act of violence in the line of duty, either died or sustained an injury that left them 100% disabled.

Application timeline

- Apply to your institution by July 15 each year.

General eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the following baseline criteria:

- Be at least 16 years old.
- Be enrolled, either full time or part time, in one of the following:
- A standard undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree program at an eligible institution;
- A two‑year terminal certificate program whose coursework is transferable for credit toward an accredited baccalaureate program at an eligible institution;
- A private career school.

In addition, applicants must qualify under at least one of the specific categories below:

- A son, daughter, or stepchild of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who died as a result of military service or who incurred a service‑connected permanent disability of 100% from military service.
- The surviving spouse (not remarried) of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who sustained a service‑connected 100% permanent disability from military service.
- A veteran (as defined in § 9–901 of the State Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland) who has a service‑connected disability of 25% or greater and who has exhausted or is no longer eligible for federal veterans’ educational benefits.
- A son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse of a victim of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks who died as a result of the World Trade Center attack in New York City, the Pentagon attack in Virginia, or the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
- A POW/MIA from the Vietnam Conflict (or that person’s son, daughter, or stepchild) who was a Maryland resident at the time the person was declared a prisoner of war or missing in action.
- A son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse (not remarried) of a State or local public safety employee (career or volunteer firefighter, ambulance or rescue squad member, law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or member of the Maryland National Guard) who died in the line of duty or was rendered 100% disabled in the line of duty.
- A State or local public safety employee or volunteer who was rendered 100% disabled in the line of duty.
- A son, daughter, stepchild, or surviving spouse (not remarried) of a school employee who, as a victim of an act of violence in the line of duty, either died or sustained an injury that rendered the school employee 100% disabled.

Residency requirement and exceptions

- Applicants must be Maryland residents at the time of application, except for the following categories (who are eligible regardless of current residence):
- A son, daughter, stepson, or stepdaughter of any State or local public safety employee killed in the line of duty;
- The surviving spouse of any State or local public safety employee killed in the line of duty;
- A disabled public safety employee (100% disabled in the line of duty);
- A son, daughter, stepson, or stepdaughter of a public safety employee who sustained a line‑of‑duty injury rendering the employee 100% disabled;
- The surviving spouse of a public safety employee who sustained a line‑of‑duty injury rendering the employee 100% disabled.

Application process and submission

- New and renewal applicants should obtain application instructions from the financial aid office at the institution they plan to attend or are attending.
- Do not submit applications or any supporting documentation to the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). All documents and forms must be delivered directly to the institution’s financial aid office.

Required documentation

- All required paperwork must be submitted to the institution. Students must not send documentation to MHEC.

Award amount and limits

- Awards are contingent on the availability of funds.
- Maximum award for the 2025–2026 academic year: $13,689.
- An individual award cannot exceed the equivalent annual tuition and mandatory fees of the resident undergraduate program with the highest annual costs at a four‑year public institution within the University System of Maryland (excluding the University of Maryland Global Campus and the University of Maryland, Baltimore).
- For dependents or spouses of September 11, 2001 victims, the combined total of this scholarship plus any other scholarships received because of the student’s status as a child or spouse of a 9/11 victim may not exceed the maximum amount described above.

Renewal and duration of benefits

- Initial awards are automatically renewed by the institution’s financial aid office for the following academic year. Contact your institution’s financial aid office with questions about renewals.
- Awards may be used for up to five (5) years of full‑time study (12 or more credits per semester), eight (8) years of part‑time study (6–11 credits per semester), or a combination of both.
- Audited courses do not count toward the minimum credit hours required for full‑time or part‑time status.

If you need help locating the financial aid office at your institution or have questions about documentation requirements, contact that office directly — they administer these scholarship applications and renewals.