Since 2017, Maryland’s student loan debt relief tax credit has provided over $40 million to over 40,000 Marylanders.  In 2021, approximately 9,000 Maryland residents received a tax credit between $875 and $1,000. Here are the facts you need to apply. What is the Maryland Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit Program’s deadline? The deadline for the 2022 tax year is September 15. How does the program work? Maryland residents who are making undergraduate and/or graduate education loan payments from accredited colleges or universities may be eligible for an income tax credit. Do you have to be ..read more

President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan was announced August 24, 2022.  There are 43 million people nationwide with student loan debt.  Here is what you need to know. Who is eligible for student loan forgiveness? If you have federal student loans and make less than $125,000 individually or $250,000 for a family, you qualify for up to a $10,000 cancellation. If you received Pell Grants, you qualify for up to a $20,000 cancellation. What is a Pell Grant? A Pell Grant is need-based federal financial aid that generally does not have to be repaid.  The maximum Pell Grant aw ..read more

A native of Baltimore, Wanda Queen Draper graduated from the University of Maryland School of Journalism. She also attended Johns Hopkins University Graduate School of Contemporary Studies and the University of Maryland School of Law. She started her career in Journalism as a student reporter with local television, radio stations and daily newspapers while still in high school. Thus began a 43-year career as a reporter and talk show host that culminated with a 25-year broadcast management career at WBAL-TV 11, where she retired as Director of Programming and Public Affairs. She annually provid ..read more

The United States needs over 2 million construction workers to fill positions for the next three years, according to a CBS News report.  Electricians, carpenters, plumbers, and HVAC mechanics are in high demand and offer high paying career options.  ABC Construction Education Academy offers a nine-month training program for those in demand construction careers.  Central Scholarship has partnered with  ABC Construction Education Academy to help Maryland students complete the CEA program with little to no educational debt. Central Scholarship is providing grants to eligible s ..read more

According to a New York Times survey, more than 100 colleges across the United States have said they will require students to receive coronavirus vaccines to attend in-person classes. Joining those institutions are The University System of Maryland and Morgan State University, who will require students on campuses to be vaccinated. We are excited to announce Central Scholarship is expanding our services to provide students transportation to and from a COVID-19 vaccination site. Every eligible student will receive a $25 ride share gift card. To receive transportation for your COVID-19 vaccine ..read more

Blair Smith graduated May 2020 from the University of Maryland College Park with a bioengineering degree and $29,825 in federal student loans.  Three months later she wins $30,000 to payoff her federal student loans from Central Scholarship. The United States student loan debt total is over $1.7 trillion.  As of February 2022, students will have to begin federal student loan repayment after a 22-month interest freeze.  For many student loan borrowers this will pose a financial strain. Central Scholarship and its supporters recognize the financial burden of student loans.  T ..read more

Lola has never been one to let financial circumstances affect any opportunity she desires or goal she sets for herself. Growing up, medicals bills and hospital stays for a sibling placed many financial strains on Lola’s family. But it was this experience that inspired Lola to work towards her academic goals of pursuing a career in public health and medicine. Lola refused to let a quality college education and achieving her dreams be determined by her family’s financial position, so when she was accepted to New York University Lola came to Central Scholarship to help fill the financial gap. Aft ..read more

Dentist visits can be scary.  Having all four wisdom teeth removed is scary and painful.  Health insurance not covering the cost of the dental bill is devasting.  Choosing to pay a dental bill or tuition; should never happen! This was Wasilat’s unfortunate reality.  But her story started in Nigeria long before her dental surgery.  Wasilat experienced unreliable, ill-equipped medical facilities first-hand. She saw how poorly funded government health facilities lead to the loss of lives. From that time, she made a commitment to study Public Health.  Wasilat’s dream ..read more

A medical bill emergency almost stopped David from graduating.  As a senior at the University of Maryland, he was excelling academically and socially.  He was on the Dean’s list, leader of two campus organizations, a US Army Research Lab intern, and about to receive his Electrical Engineering degree.  But he could not afford the surgery; Central Scholarship’s Student Emergency Fund was able to help cover his medical bill. With all David’s academic accomplishments, he was still struggling personally. One of David’s parents was undergoing medical treatment which made the family’s ..read more

Tierra A. Dorsey, Central Scholarship President, was featured on WEAA 88.9 FM and Fox News 45 to discuss using scholarships to avoid student loan debt and the benefits of aligning scholarship application accessibility with the college application season, respectively. The student loan debt crisis is now tipping the scales at $1.7 trillion and Maryland families are carrying $35.5 billion dollars of that debt, according to the Education Data Initiative.  Dorsey discussed how student loans can be avoided with careful and early planning. “We try to educate the entire family around the process ..read more