Program Purpose
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) School of Agricultural & Natural Sciences (UMES SANS) is pleased to introduce the UMES Land-Grant Scholarship Program. The program provides scholarships to support the recruitment, retention and educational success of undergraduate students, resulting in an increased number of graduates with baccalaureate degrees in the food and agricultural sciences and related fields. The scholarships are funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and are intended to encourage outstanding students to pursue and complete baccalaureate degrees in these fields.
Meet Our Land-Grant Scholars
“The UMES Land-grant Scholarship Program has been instrumental in supporting my academic and career goals. Its financial assistance allowed me to focus on my studies.”
Alexandria Camp (White Plains, Maryland) Class of 2025 — Biochemistry
Camp will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry on Dec. 13, 2025, and is looking forward to achieving her dream of a career in forensic science. She will pursue a master’s degree in forensic science at Towson University, where she has been accepted for Fall 2026.
“The scholarship has given me an opportunity to just focus solely on my academic studies, which has made it a lot better for me to get better grades, to be on the dean’s list and for me to focus on my mental health, as well.”
Jasmin Pinchinat (Frederick, Maryland) Class of 2024 — Environmental Science
Jasmin completed two internships with the Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research and Innovation in summer 2024 before being hired by Princeton as community organizer. She works in the Integrated Groundwater Modeling Center in Princeton’s Civil and Environmental Engineering department.
“The scholarship allowed me to complete my studies at UMES, where I was able to learn from and work with amazing faculty who sparked my love for agriculture.”
Julianna Fitts (Bowie, Maryland) Class of 2023 — General Agriculture
Julianna is a soil conservationist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Binghamton, New York.
“Faculty were always available, especially my internship mentors. And when I accepted my degree, it was knowing that I would be debt-free.”
Glen Collins Jr. (Queens, New York) Class of 2024 — Environmental Science
Glen is now pursuing a master’s degree in Marine, Estuarine, Environmental Science at UMES.
By the Numbers
91%
Graduation rate within 4.5 years for the first-time, full-time program cohort students that remain at UMES
111
Students who have benefitted from the scholarship program with $5.4 million allocated to cover their academic expenses
85
Students funded through the program for the Fall 2024 semester
Examples of Fields of Study Supported by this Scholarship
| Agribusiness Management | Family and Consumer Sciences |
| Agriculture Education | Family and Consumer Sciences Education |
| Animal & Poultry Science | Fashion Merchandising |
| Child Development | General Agriculture |
| Dietetics/Nutrition | Plant & Soil Science |
| Environmental Science | Pre-Veterinary Medicine |
Awards
Scholarships are awarded annually and must be used at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Awards are renewable each year for the term of the scholarship and provides up to $15,000 per year in-state or $25,000 per year out-of-state, based on the student’s financial need. Scholarship renewal is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance (must maintain a GPA of 2.8 or above), academic progress toward the bachelor’s degree, and active participation in the scholarship program.
Eligibility Requirements
This scholarship application is for new, incoming freshmen and transfer college students.
High school applicants must:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Have applied for or have been accepted for admission to UMES (if not, go to UMES application portal)
- Will be enrolled at UMES no later than one year after the date of acceptance to UMES
- Must be accepted into an approved major within the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, including the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Sciences; the Department of Natural Sciences; or the Department of Human Ecology
- Have a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate with a high school grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.8 unweighted (on a 4.0 scale)
- Intend to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences
- Be enrolled full time in at least 15 course credits leading to an undergraduate degree in any of the four majors listed above each semester
College applicants (transfer students) must:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Have applied for or have been accepted for admission to UMES (if not, go to UMES application portal)
- Will be enrolled at UMES no later than one year after the date of acceptance to UMES
- Must be accepted into an approved major within the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, including the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Sciences; the Department of Natural Sciences; or Human Ecology
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale)
- Intend to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences
- Be enrolled full time in at least 15 course credits leading to an undergraduate degree in any of the four majors listed above each semester
To Apply
The scholarship application portal is currently open to eligible students through Admissions Pro. Eligible applicants received an email invitation on March 12 with instructions on how to apply.
The application will close on April 17 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Applicants must be accepted to UMES and meet all program requirements to be considered eligible.
To complete the application, students are required to submit a PDF copy of:
- A resume
- An essay
- Two letters of recommendation
Students are encouraged to check their email and UMES Application Portal for an invitation to apply, if eligible.
For questions, email: umeslandgrantscholarship@umes.edu.
If you require the application form in another format, please contact ADA@umes.edu or call 410-651-6135.
