$6.2 million in grants honored for Maryland university students impacted by computer glitch
The Maryland Higher Education Commission says it's honoring $6.2 million in grants for hundreds of college students who had their funds canceled following a computer glitch.
The Guaranteed Access Grants were awarded to students in the spring. But days before the start of classes, a system error by MHEC's vendor, Interclipse, led to incorrect eligibility determinations for the Guaranteed Access Grant awards.
In an update on Wednesday, MHEC said it decided to honor all grants that were initially awarded.
The error impacted more than 600 students, including more than 170 students who were eligible for their grants and had their awards wrongly canceled, and nearly 460 students who were initially awarded a grant due to the system error that incorrectly showed them as eligible.
Both groups of students will have their grants honored.
The funds to cover the awards totaled $6.2 million and are available through the Howard P. Rawlings Program, MHEC said.
The state last week announced it is changing its scholarship management system to a new vendor, which has been selected, and a new system will be deployed by fall 2026.
MHEC requests to postpone GA Grants decentralization
The MHEC has requested to postpone the Guaranteed Access Grants decentralization until the 2029-30 academic year.
The commission says the request comes after institutions say they aren't ready to administer the program.
MHEC says its new student financial aid system will be implemented during the 2026-2027 academic year. And, according to MHEC, the ongoing changes to the FAFSA and Pell Grant are the "most significant revisions to federal financial aid in recent history."
MHEC says it will continue to centrally administer and award GA Grants to ensure uninterrupted support for students.
"Delaying decentralization will allow all parties to work together to strengthen financial aid delivery and ensure the most appropriate use of taxpayer resources," the commission said..
Student relieved after grant restored
WJZ spoke to Andrew Farmer, a student at Frostburg State University who moved into his dorm last week.
Farmer's $18,000 grant will be honored for this school year.
He, like many other students, had his grants revoked due to the computer glitch. Farmer and his mother noticed that the money vanished from his Frostburg student aid account and called MHEC to find out why it was gone.
"My mom told me the whole time for three months that I was a leprechaun and I was lucky, and then it all just came crashing down at the last minute," Farmer told WJZ.
Farmer said he was relieved once he learned the rescinded grant was going to be honored.
In a statement, the University System of Maryland said it was communicating with students impacted by the glitch.
"Our focus is on the affected students. Our campuses are communicating with them, and our leadership is in touch with MHEC and the governor's office. It is our hope that all of these students can receive what was promised to them and focus their attention on their studies," Michael Sandler, a University System of Maryland spokesperson, said in part.
