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Scholarships

Harford Community College provides a number of scholarships that support students working to reach their goals of obtaining a college degree or certificate. 

College-Based Scholarships

There are two types of College scholarships available:
1 | Harford Community College Scholarships 
2 | Harford Community College Foundation Scholarships.

Complete and submit one common application, accessed through AwardSpring, and you will be matched to the scholarship(s) you are eligible for. Once you have applied you will see the required documents to submit such as letters of recommendation, narratives and/or personal interviews or with the donor/s. Awards will be announced through your OwlMail and OwlNet accounts.

ALL STUDENTS are encouraged to complete Harford's scholarship application.

Grant-Based Scholarships

Each year Harford Community College applies for and receives several grants that provide our students with additional resources for specific areas of study. One of these resources is scholarships. Grant-based scholarships vary in amount and requirements but provide valuable funding to our students. Talk to your professors and your academic advisor to see if these may be available for your program of study and how to apply.

 

To ensure greater scholarship eligibility, a current FAFSA should be completed using Harford's School Code 002075. Results must be on file in the Financial Aid Office.

Scholarship Application Checklist

CAREFULLY READ SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS 
Some scholarships require a separate application, additional narratives, letters of recommendation and/or a personal interview. It is important to submit all materials required by the scholarship/grant for which you are applying. Failure to do so may eliminate you from consideration for a scholarship.

Pay close attention to scholarship application deadlines and get your paperwork in early.

TRANSCRIPTS

  • High school seniors and transfer students must submit a transcript. A final transcript is not required by the scholarship deadline but is encouraged upon graduation.
  • Official transcripts from ALL previous colleges should be submitted.
  • Current Harford Community College students do not need to submit a transcript.

NARRATIVE / ESSAY
Some scholarships require a brief narrative/essay through the online application. In your essay, describe your academic and professional goals and how the scholarships and/or grants will help you attain them, list your recent volunteer and community service activities as well as something about your financial need.

Students who commit an act of academic dishonesty while applying for a scholarship, including Harford Community College scholarships, Harford Community College Foundation scholarships, or private scholarships, may have their application invalidated and/or may be subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, plagiarism and copyright infringement and is a violation of Harford Community College’s Code for Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct.

 

Alfred C. O’Connell Scholarship

Attention, graduating high school seniors in Harford County! Your journey to success is about to take a remarkable turn, and we're here to help you make it happen.

The prestigious Alfred C. O’Connell Scholarship covers the cost of tuition and regular fees for up to two consecutive years at HCC. This highly competitive scholarship is awarded to 10 incoming freshmen. Graduating high school seniors who meet the following criteria are encouraged to complete the online application:

  • A cumulative high school grade point average must be at least 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 unweighted scale. Grade point averages are calculated through 11th grade only.
  • Apply to Harford Community College as a full-time student seeking a degree. If you were previously a dually enrolled high school student at HCC, you do not need to submit a new application for Fall 2024. Please contact admissions if you have any questions, admissions@harford.edu.

Meet one of the following testing criteria:

  • Taken the SAT (within the past two years) and scored a minimum of 500 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing portion and a minimum of 530 on the SAT math portion of the exam; OR
  • Taken the ACT (within the past two years) and scored a minimum of 21 on the ACT Writing, Reading and Math; OR
  • Taken the Accuplacer test proctored by the HCC Test Center with a score of 263 in Reading, Writing and Math.

 

Private/External Scholarships 

In contrast to Harford Community College or Harford Community College Foundation scholarships, private/external scholarships are created and funded by individuals, corporations, civic, religious, social, and fraternal organizations. These scholarships can range in amount from $250 to thousands of dollars, and some may cover the full cost of tuition, books and fees. You are encouraged to search out all sources for scholarships.