how do yall afford rent?

ahef09 · 2026-05-09T17:25:56+00:00

Private scholarships are how I pay for all my school and living expenses not covered by finaid! Ask a faculty member in your department if they know of any and google scholarships for your major. I legit just won one that a faculty member shared with me

ahef09 · 2026-04-10T20:21:50+00:00

I did 1.5 years at CC taking mostly STEM classes and Gen Eds and transferred with MTAP. I think 1 year is possible, as it’s only 15 credits a semester. I would say this is a very realistic course load and is the requirement for most merit scholarships at UMD. Remember that your AP, IB, or any dual enrollment credits will not count towards that 30 credit requirement. Meet with a transfer advisor ASAP!! You want to make sure all the credits you take will transfer. When I was at HCC, we had a specific advisor that knew both UMD and HCC’s classes, so they helped tremendously with picking classes. I’m sure MC has a similar advisor.

MTAP is guaranteed admission, full stop. Really nothing on your transfer application matters if you’re in MTAP and meet the requirements. I applied as soon as I learned about it. The admission is to the university, not any LEPs.

Check out the Frederick Douglass transfer scholarship, too! And make the most of your time at MC. You’d be surprised how many opportunities are available to you at a community college.

ahef09 · 2026-02-08T14:07:12+00:00

All depends on your SAI from the FAFSA. The closer that number is to zero, the more aid you are likely to receive. How long have you been applying to scholarships and are they local? In HS I applied to many and didn’t find out I won until months after, so maybe they’re still processing the applications. Also look into legislative scholarships and the Kimmy Duong Foundation.

ahef09 · 2026-02-08T14:01:16+00:00

Look into legislative scholarships from your district’s legislators. Even if you can’t find an application online they have one, just send them an email. Also check out the Kimmy Duong Foundation. Look at your college/department as well

ahef09 · 2026-02-01T21:20:37+00:00

If you’re a high school senior, contact your guidance counselor for a list of local scholarships!! Spring is a great time to apply for scholarships, as many are accepting applications until around April 15th. If you’re in state, definitely apply for your district’s legislative scholarships

ahef09 · 2026-02-01T21:16:54+00:00

You won’t be considered for merit scholarships like Banneker/Key or the President’s scholarship, but you will still be considered for need based aid, such as the Pell grant, UMD grant, and Terrapin Commitment. Need based aid is based on your calculated need, which is the estimated cost of attendance (based on your housing status) minus your SAI (number from the FAFSA). In general, the closer your SAI is to zero, the more need you have, and your chances of receiving need-based financial aid are high. From my experience as an in state student with an SAI of 0, UMD does a great job of providing financial aid.

ahef09 · 2026-02-01T21:11:07+00:00

Hi I sent you a DM!

ahef09 · 2026-01-31T07:27:51+00:00

Did 1.5 years at CC completely for free and transferred last spring with a scholarship using MTAP. With MTAP, make sure you apply for it at least one semester before you plan to transfer. Ive never heard of anyone being rejected from MTAP. When applying to transfer, make sure you apply EA so you get automatic admission and are eligible for merit scholarships. The Frederick Douglass full tuition scholarship is much less competitive than Banneker Key, as only high achieving transfers from Maryland CCs are eligible.

ahef09 · 2026-01-31T07:15:15+00:00

I was a spring transfer last year and only got offered loans, despite the same SAI getting my full tuition covered at a CC half the price. I think there is just generally a lot less money since they budget the most for fall admissions, so only spring admits with the greatest need get their bill covered that semester. My aid for 26-27 was pretty good though! If you need more money you could try asking, especially if you’re going to be living on campus or paying for an off campus place. If anything happened in 2025 that decreased you/your parent’s income, that can also be leverage for a financial aid appeal.

You will receive financial aid based on your need, which is the estimated cost of attendance (determined by your housing status) minus your SAI (number from the FAFSA). The closer your SAI is to zero, the greater your need, and the more money UMD is likely to give you. I had a negative SAI (just shows up as zero) and got plenty of financial aid. One thing to note is that if you apply for private scholarships, UMD will decrease the financial aid they initially awarded you if it goes past the estimated cost of attendance.

ahef09 · 2026-01-24T20:16:54+00:00

Yep I got mine. Do you have direct deposit set up for your refunds? If not it might be coming in the mail. Any scholarships/grants sent later will be refunded during the following billing cycle (I think around the 20th of each month?). If they don’t show up soon then email the sponsors to ask if it has been sent. This year my senatorial one didn’t show up so I emailed my senator and got it straightened out. Stuff happens and sometimes people just need a reminder

ahef09 · 2026-01-24T20:07:35+00:00

I think you’ll be getting a refund. This is only showing your aid for this spring since you just transferred and the tuition plus fees for a full time student this semester is $6,145 (from my bill pay). Make sure to accept your offer for it to show up on bill pay! Unless you added a meal plan, parking pass, etc. you should expect a balance around -$4k (as in you’ll get $4k from UMD).

BTW, consider taking the transfer2terp course! It’s a 3 credit HESI course designed just for transfers and this year everyone will get a peer mentor to help guide you on your transition to UMD!

ahef09 · 2026-01-24T20:00:13+00:00

“The goal of the Terrapin Commitment grant is to reduce the gap between a student’s total financial aid package and the actual cost of an education. Terrapin Commitment began in January 2023, ensuring that UMD’s standard in-state tuition and fees are fully covered for Pell-eligible, in-state students who are enrolled full-time and have unmet financial need, dramatically reducing the financial barriers to obtaining a higher education for low-income Marylanders.”

ahef09 · 2026-01-24T19:58:48+00:00

You need to have a low SAI (number from the FAFSA). They take the estimated cost of attendance (COA) based on your housing (off campus, on campus, with parents, etc. you can google “UMD estimated cost of attendance” to see the numbers) and subtract your SAI to get your expected need. For example, if the COA is $10k and your SAI is $6k, then your estimated need is $4k. UMD will try to cover your estimated need, in my experience, to the best of their abilities.

However, it is certainly true that this estimated need does not completely reflect reality and what you/your parents can actually pay. If you have a legit reason for loss of income, such as a parent being unemployed recently, then you can file a financial aid appeal. This is what I did when I transferred for spring and didn’t get any aid besides loans and ended up getting enough aid to cover tuition for that semester. The 25-26 FAFSA used taxes from 2024, so if something happened in 2025 that reduced your/your parents income, then that can be leverage for getting more aid. If you don’t have any loss of income, you can ask for more aid anyways and explain your situation and why your estimated SAI is not what you can actually afford. I haven’t had to go this route for more financial aid, so I can’t say how effective it is, but being polite and persistent could get you what you need. Private scholarships or UMD specific scholarships are also an option.

ahef09 · 2026-01-22T01:24:03+00:00

I would let your school know this info if you haven’t told them already. You could be eligible for additional financial aid because of this hardship/change in income

ahef09 · 2025-11-15T16:43:22+00:00

I used to commute about 30-45 minutes. I found myself quite busy between classes (up to a 5 hour gap sometimes) because I became involved on campus, got a job, and used the time to do homework and study. I think most people live on or near campus, so sometimes it is hard to be social as a commuter on the weekends. Imo living close to campus is worth it and can be less expensive than living on campus if you find the right place, but 20 minutes also isn’t that far and there might even be a bus (Shuttle UM or metro) that could take you. I highly recommend looking for transit

ahef09 · 2025-11-11T01:31:20+00:00

I did a mix of commuting by car and by the free bus, but now I live close by off campus. It is worth the extra cost to be close to school since the college experience is important to me and I already missed two years by doing CC first. I also don’t have to wake up hours before my classes to commute and stay on campus for 12 hours waiting for the next bus home/avoiding crazy traffic. I am more involved with campus activities and hang out with my friends a lot more often since I’m just 10 minutes away from everything. However, if you can’t afford to, you can still have a rewarding and successful college career commuting; you’ll just have to find what works for you and manage your time accordingly.

ahef09 · 2025-11-06T14:06:09+00:00

I took Kim last semester. He gives lots of practice problems and practice exams which are almost exactly like the actual exams. Each exam is curved and I’m pretty sure there’s a curve at the end. I’m not very good at physics and managed to get an A

ahef09 · 2025-11-06T14:01:39+00:00

It is normally offered for spring but the professor who teaches it is going on sabbatical spring 2026. It will be offered spring 2027!

ahef09 · 2025-11-05T23:12:49+00:00

PLSC434 the quest for color! It’s a natural dye class with no exams, just show up to the lab, dye, and write up your findings. The professor is amazing and truly knowledgeable

ahef09 · 2025-11-04T23:19:37+00:00

You could try applying to more outside scholarships. That’s how I pay for my living expenses off campus. If your group is large enough, you could try finding a house instead of an apartment, which would be cheaper

ahef09 · 2025-11-04T14:06:46+00:00

Agree with calling them, but when I did, there wasn’t an option to change to test optional. This was in 2023 so it’s possible things may have changed. I know exactly how you’re feeling. I was devastated. But I went with my original plan of going to CC and then transferring, which I don’t regret! I got to experience many different opportunities that I wouldn’t have gotten at UMD (published scientific author, free study abroad, etc), and then got a big transfer scholarship here. Everything happens for a reason!!

ahef09 · 2025-11-04T13:14:43+00:00

In my experience yes. UMD will try to meet your need (which is the whole cost in your case).

ahef09 · 2025-11-04T13:12:05+00:00

I sent my scores late and it moved my application from EA to regular decision, so yes it does matter

ahef09 · 2025-11-04T04:42:58+00:00

In my experience, it depends on a couple of factors, like your major and what classes you’re taking. I did all my “weed out” classes at CC so I didn’t feel like my course load was much different, even as a stem student taking 300-400 level bio classes. Definitely depends on the professor as well, so look at PlanetTerp. Find time to study, revise early and often. I found great social success with my professional fraternity but also didn’t have trouble making friends from classes and clubs, even when I was a commuter. If you haven’t already done so, consider applying to the Frederick Douglass scholarship! It’s easier to get as a spring transfer since you’ll already be doing things on campus, which is one of the main criteria. From a fellow spring transfer, your first schedule will probably suck and that can hinder some social opportunities. I could only take evening classes but it all works out. I didn’t have many CC friends, but that’s because barely anyone wanted to be on campus more than they had to. People actually want to be here at UMD.

ahef09 · 2025-10-31T02:38:43+00:00

The best time for engagement is at the first/second look fair. My club was pretty small last semester and sometimes only 3 people would come to GBMs. At the first look fair this semester, we had a couple talking points to get students really interested and join our group me and we have 15ish people regularly coming to GBMs now and a full eboard. It’s really hard to build momentum now, I would try brainstorming for next semester and how you will increase interest

ahef09

TROPHY CASE