Higher Education - Student Financial Assistance - Students in Informal Kinship Care Relationships

SB 755 requires Maryland's Higher Education Commission to treat students in informal kinship care relationships (living with relatives like grandparents without formal foster care) as independent for financial aid eligibility. This means their caregivers' income will not be counted when determining need for state grants like the Guaranteed Access Grant. To qualify, students must be in a DHS-licensed kinship arrangement and provide a verified affidavit confirming the relationship. The bill amends Maryland Education Code sections 18-303 and 18-303.1 to implement these changes.