Due to the impact of COVID-19, the Office of Financial and Scholarships has elected to forego taking action on academic reviews for the Spring 2020 semester for all UMBC Merit Scholars.  Therefore, any general merit scholar student below the minimum requirements of their scholarship agreement, will be automatically placed on scholarship probation but will retain their full award amount for the upcoming Fall 2020 semester.

In an effort to ensure academic progress for the subsequent semesters, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will provide scholars experiencing academic challenges information on campus resources to include support from our Academic Success Center.  Scholars will also be encouraged to develop Academic Improvement Plans, where necessary. 

Any merit scholar student currently on Spring 2020 probation will be removed from probationary status if they have successfully reached the required grade point average (GPA) and/or enrollment completion this semester. 

The normal academic review process will resume at the conclusion of the Fall 2020 semester.

If you have any questions, we welcome you to contact a UMBC Scholarships Staff Member at: scholarships@umbc.edu

Students currently enrolled in a course under the regular grading method (A, B, C, D, or F) may request to have their final grade changed from an A, B, C, or D to a Pass (P) by submitting a request to the Registrar’s Office.

Merit scholars opting to change any Spring 2020 course grades from an A, B, C, or D to a Pass (P) will not be penalized in failure to complete the minimum enrollment requirements indicated on their official merit scholarship agreement.

However, it is imperative that scholars keep in mind that changing a course grade to (P) Pass will not positively or negatively impact their term and/or cumulative GPA.  Merit scholars' required cumulative grade point average (GPA) indicated in their merit scholarship agreement will remain as is. 

Failure to meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirements may result in a Scholarship Discontinuation at the end of the Spring 2020 semester.

Information on the Scholarship Discontinuation Appeal Process may be found at: Scholarship Discontinuation Appeals

Other Important Links:

Academic and Enrollment Policies (COVID-19)

Scholarship Deferral Requests - Now Accepting for Fall 2020 & Spring 2021

Important Deadlines:

June 10, 2020 - Last Day to Withdrawal with a "W" Grade

June 10, 2020 - Scholarship Withdrawal Request - Spring 2020

The Scholarships Unit has conducted its annual Academic Review for all merit scholar recipients.  Notifications to any student receiving a discontinuation notice, will be sent via e-mail as well as USPS mail.

Scholars with extenuating circumstances may appeal their scholarship discontinuation by submitting a Scholarship Discontinuation Appeal.

All scholars appealing their discontinuation must submit an appeal form by the published deadline. Appeals must include documentation to explain any extenuating circumstances that lead to the unsatisfactory academic results. The scholar must also have a detailed plan and timetable on how they will restore themselves academically with the Academic Plan Worksheet. The Scholarship Review Committee reserves the right to make individual decisions based on extenuating circumstance(s).

Please note: If the appeal is denied or no appeal is submitted by the published deadline, the scholarship will be permanently discontinued and cannot be reinstated.

The following information is required in order to complete the appeal request. Feel free to review the documents prior to accessing the on-line form.

1. Scholarships Appeal Statement – a personal statement explaining the reason(s) you failed to meet scholarship standards for the semester(s) as reflected on your transcript.
2. Scholarships Academic Plan Worksheet
3. Supporting Documentation – Documentation supporting the extenuating circumstance(s) listed in your appeal statement (i.e. hospital visits/bill, death certificate, etc). Time frames on your documentation should support the circumstance described in your statement.
   

The deadline for all Spring 2019 Scholarship Discontinuation Appeals is 4:00PM on Thursday, June 27, 2019 (for Spring 2019 discontinuations only).

As a friendly reminder, all merit scholarship recipients are required to maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) and successfully complete at least 12+ credits (6+ credits for transfer students) each semester. Since mid-terms are quickly approaching, we have provided you the following list of accessible resources on campus to ensure you successfully meet the terms of your scholarship agreement 

●Arrange a meeting with an academic advisor at the Advising Services Department to discuss success strategies.

●Utilize Student Support and Tutoring Services for peer and tutoring resources.

● Visit the Learning Resources Center for learning assistance services.

● Schedule a one-on-one meeting with your professors to validate you are obtaining the accurate information in lectures and/or labs.

At the end of the fall semester, the Merit Scholarship Review Committee will review your academic record and confirm compliance with your scholarship requirements.

If you have any questions regarding your scholarship terms and conditions, please feel free to contact us at: https://scholarships.umbc.edu/contact-us/ or by phone at 410-455-3813.