Jack F. Tolbert Memorial Student Grant

The Tolbert Grant is a small Maryland need-based grant for full-time students at approved private career schools in Maryland, such as cosmetology, trade and allied health schools. Students must attend at least 18 clock hours a week, be Maryland residents (with a Maryland-resident parent if dependent), file the FAFSA (March 1 is preferred), and apply through the financial aid office of their career school. The award is up to $500 and can be renewed once. Funds may not reach every eligible student, so apply early. It is one of the few Maryland state awards built specifically for career-school students rather than college students, and it can be combined with federal Pell Grants.

Other deadlines near this one

• 802 Opportunity Grant
  Due June 30, 2027 · Full tuition and the $100 administrative fee at CCV (last-dollar)
• Alaska Education Grant
  Due June 30, 2027 · $500-$4,000/yr based on need and enrollment level
• Alaska Performance Scholarship
  Due June 30, 2027 · $3,500-$7,000/yr depending on tier

How hard is the Jack F. Tolbert Memorial Student Grant to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. No published applicant or winner counts exist for this award, so Solyo shows no odds figure.

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

• Fewer rivalsOpen only to Maryland residents
• Fewer rivalsRestricted to specific intended majors

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Jack F. Tolbert Memorial Student Grant?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

• ✓Must be a resident of Maryland
• ✓Must attend a college in Maryland (the award does not travel out of state)
• ✓Open to high school seniors and current college students
• ✓Planning to study Skilled Trades

What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The next projected deadline is June 30, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual June 30 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. File the FAFSA by March 1 and ask the career school's aid office for the Tolbert application at enrollment.

FAFSA preferred by

March 1, 2027

Common questions about the Jack F. Tolbert Memorial Student Grant

More need-based scholarships

• Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program
  Up to $55,000/yr x 4 years · due November 11, 2026
• Kansas Education Opportunity Scholarship
  Up to $1,850 a year · due May 1, 2027
• Kibbie Grant (Iowa Skilled Workforce Shortage Tuition Grant)
  Up to $3,100 a year (2026-27) · due July 1, 2027
• Life Lessons Scholarship Program
  Up to $15,000 · due March 1, 2027
• Marin Community Foundation Scholarships
  Varies by fund · due March 2, 2027
• Massachusetts Gilbert Matching Student Grant
  $200 to $2,500 per year · due June 30, 2027

Lists this award appears on

• Maryland Scholarships and State Grants
• No-Essay Scholarships
• Need-Based Scholarships and Grants
• Renewable Scholarships (Multi-Year Awards)
• Scholarships With June Deadlines