UMBC offers competitive merit scholarships for incoming community college transfer students, including undocumented and DACA students. Transfer scholarships are awarded based on academic accomplishment, timely and complete admissions application submission. Students may collect either the AAT or the PTK award, but not both. Degrees to Succeed award cannot be combined with the TSA award.
Information for Transfer Merit Scholarships
Transfer merit scholarships do not require a separate application! Prospective transfers will be automatically reviewed for a transfer merit scholarship provided timely application for admission.
Priority Deadlines
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- Incoming Fall Transfers: March 1st
- Incoming Spring Transfers: October 15th
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Admissions Application (Common App) and college transcripts must be received by the deadline above in order to be guaranteed consideration for merit-based scholarships.
Minimum Scholarship Eligibility Requirements:
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- Must be transferring from a community college. Based on entire post-secondary education.
- Consideration is based upon a numerical standard and competition of the applicant pool.
- Completion of 30 or more credits at the time of admission application submission; priority consideration is given to students completing an associate’s degree prior to transfer.
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Transfer Scholarships
Academic Achievement Award for Transfers (AAT)
- Meet the Minimum Scholarship Eligibility Requirements above
Award Amount: $2,500 ($1,250 per semester)
Degrees to Succeed (DTS)
- Meet the Minimum Scholarship Eligibility Requirements above
- A member of the Degrees to Succeed program with CCBC and UMBC.
- Consideration begins at a minimum 3.25 composite GPA (calculated from all colleges/universities) at the time of Transfer Admission application and is based on the competitiveness of the applicant pool.
- Completion of an Associate’s degree at CCBC within four years of Degrees to Succeed acceptance (Official transcript must be submitted to UMBC Admissions showing an earned Associate’s degree prior to first semester at UMBC).
- Enrollment at UMBC within one year of completion of the Associate’s degree.
- Not matriculated at any other institution of higher education after Degrees to Succeed program acceptance.
Award Amount: $1,000 ($500 per semester)
Phi Theta Kappa Award* (PTK)
- Meet the Minimum Scholarship Eligibility Requirements above
- Proof of PTK membership must be included with Admission application submission.
- *Phi Theta Kappa scholarships are institutionally funded and awarding is administered by the UMBC Merit Scholarship Unit based on the above criteria. Therefore, community college membership in PTK does not automatically guarantee receipt of this scholarship.
Award Amount: $2,500 ($1,250 per semester)
Transfer Student Alliance Award (TSA)
- Meet the Minimum Scholarship Eligibility Requirements above
- A member of the TSA program with UMBC.
- For additional information, please visit the Transfer Student Alliance Program website.
- Consideration begins at a minimum cumulative 3.5 composite GPA (calculated from all colleges/universities) at the time of Transfer Admission application.
- Completion of an earned Associate’s Degree at a Maryland community college within four years of initial Pre-TSA Program acceptance (Official transcript must be submitted to UMBC Admissions showing an earned Associate’s degree prior to first semester at UMBC).
- Enrollment at UMBC within one year of completion of the Associate’s degree.
- Not matriculated at any other institution of higher education after pre-TSA program acceptance.
Award Amount: $1,500 ($750 per semester)
*Note that this award can “stack” or be combined with AAT or PTK if awarded.
Transfer Scholarship Maintenance
- May be used for full or part-time award (award amount is pro-rated for part-time enrollment 6- 11.5 credits).
- Must maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA.
- Awards are available for each of two academic years of study
*All recipients undergo academic reviews each semester to ensure they maintain the cumulative GPA and enrollment requirements.
No combination of UMBC awards/scholarships can exceed the cost of attendance for an academic year. However, if a student qualifies for additional awards/scholarships, the Transfer Student Alliance (TSA) Award can be combined/stacked with the Academic Achievement Award for Transfers (AAAT) OR the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) scholarship.
Additional Transfer Resources
Scholar Programs
Sherman Teacher Scholars Program
Scholarship Retriever
Once you have a campus ID, submit your general application on Scholarship Retriever and begin to apply to additional scholarship opportunities, some specifically for transfer students!
The Scholarship Retriever is available to all UMBC students and allows students to submit a general scholarship application to be considered for additional opportunities available at UMBC.
Scholarship Retriever houses both internal and external scholarship opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and international students! You can complete the general application and apply to any other opportunities that may be of interest, and new opportunities are posted regularly, so check back frequently!
Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC)
2+2 Transfer Scholarship – Designed to assist and encourage transfer students from Maryland community colleges to attend a 4-year institution within the State.
Note to Undergraduates: While 12 registered credits meets the minimum course load for full-time status for scholarship maintenance purposes, we encourage you to consider the many benefits of enrolling in at least 15 credits per semester (or, on average, 30 credits per year), including graduating in four years. To learn more about strategies for on-time degree completion and four year graduation, visit Finish 15.
Visit Transfer Central to plan your transfer. You’ll be able to review how your credits will transfer, learn more about transfer services, and explore the benefits of UMBC’s Transfer Student Alliance.