Higher Education - Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program - Eligibility

HB 100 would expand eligibility for Maryland's Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program to include individuals who were eligible for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Chapter 35 Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Benefit. This change would directly affect current or former Chapter 35 beneficiaries applying for the scholarship, who previously lacked automatic eligibility under the program. The bill adds a new qualifying category to the existing criteria (such as military dependents, 9/11 victims' families, and school employee dependents) and establishes two verification methods: submitting a Chapter 35 certificate or having a school official verify eligibility. The proposed changes would take effect July 1, 2026, if enacted.