Higher Education - Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program - Eligible Institutions
SB 597 expands Maryland's Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program to include The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine as an eligible institution. This change allows students enrolled at The Meritus School to apply for the scholarship, which provides financial aid for graduate studies in fields like medicine, law, nursing, and pharmacy. The bill does not alter existing requirements (such as Maryland residency, financial need, or scholarship amounts of $1,000-$5,000 per year) but adds The Meritus School to the official list of qualifying institutions. The change takes effect July 1, 2025, and directly affects students at The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Jan 27, 2025
Signed May 6, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
First - Higher Education - Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program - Eligible Institutions
→
Third - Higher Education - Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program - Eligible Institutions
·
6 edits
MODERATE
This bill adds Senate action details and formatting changes to the header, while substantially modifying eligibility requirements for the Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program. The most significant change is the reorganization of eligible institutions, adding the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine and renumbering existing categories. The funding amounts and duration requirements remain unchanged.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on graduate and professional students in specific fields, but the list of eligible institutions has been expanded and reorganized.
TECHNICAL
Added committee report status, Senate adoption date, and signature lines to the bill header
Removed explanatory notes about capitalization and bracket usage from the middle of the bill text
ELIGIBILITY
Reorganized the list of eligible institutions from a flat list to a structured format with subcategories for University of Maryland schools, University of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins, and other institutions
Added Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine as an eligible institution
Renumbered institution categories from (v) through (viii) to (VI) through (VIII) to accommodate the new Meritus entry
REQUIREMENT
Added new requirement that recipients must demonstrate financial need according to Commission criteria
Floor votes · Senate Feb 18, 2025 · House of Delegates Mar 25, 2025
How they voted
43–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 46
Feb 18, 2025
D
Democratic33
93% Yea
R
Republican13
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
17
Key actions
10
Committee
6
May 6, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 383
executive
Apr 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Returned Passed
upper
Apr 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Apr 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
lower
Apr 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Favorable Report by Appropriations
lower
Mar 25, 2025
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (138-0-1)
house of delegates
Mar 7, 2025
Committee
Referred Appropriations
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Mar 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable Adopted
upper
Mar 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
upper
Feb 18, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (43-0-3)
senate
Jan 27, 2025
Committee
First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
upper
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about SB 597
Scope: MD
Hi! I can help you understand SB 597. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline