MILITARY/VETERAN STUDENT

STEP 1: Apply online via the Hawk Portal.

STEP 2: Pay the non-refundable application fee of $35.

STEP 3: Send your required and supporting documents to the Office of Admissions & Recruitment (submit your official copy of your high school and/or college transcripts). Official transcripts must be submitted and sent directly from all school(s) attended, so that our Office of the Registrar can complete the official credit evaluation. Uploading or submitting a copy of your final transcript(s) to the Hawk Portal or to our main admissions email will not suffice, as it is still considered unofficial. 

Transcripts can be sent electronically via:

• your school’s designated online transcript system
• Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse [Select “UMES undergraduate admissions” ONLY. If you do not see this option, please scroll to the next page. Keep a confirmation receipt for follow-up purposes].
• Baltimore Schools: https://bcsmd.scriborder.com/

STEP 4: Check your Hawk Portal for any missing action items. If you are missing any important information (transcripts, proof of residency, military documents, etc), it will delay your admissions decision!

STEP 5: Monitor the email address you provided on your application for important admissions information. Please add futurehawk@umes.edu to your contact list and check your spam and promotions folders, so you do not miss out on important information.

STEP 6: If you have completed and submitted all application documentation, and have already ordered and submitted your final transcripts, be advised that you must do the following to be matriculated in our system. For any next steps, respond to your admissions offer in the Hawk Portal by selecting enroll and paying your non-refundable $100 enrollment fee deposit.

Reminder: Please note, only completed applications will be reviewed and receive an admission decision. 

• Celebrate your admission!
• Confirm your enrollment (the link to confirm your enrollment can be found in your FutureHawk Portal).
  • The $100.00 enrollment deposit is non-refundable.
• UMES Student ID Check your admission letter for your UMES Student ID Number. Memorize it or save it in your phone (you’ll need it later).
• Residency Verify your residency information on your acceptance letter. If you believe you are in-state and have been classified otherwise, contact us at umesadmissions@umes.edu.
• Add UMES to your FAFSA Submit your FAFSA application. You must complete and submit the FAFSA in order to be considered for financial aid and certain scholarships. Resources are listed online at the Office of Financial Aid.
• New Student Account Creation After admission, use your UMES Student ID Number to set up your UMES New Student Account. After it is created, make note of your username and password to start receiving important information. Be sure to log into your myUMES to check your UMES student email (check your student email regularly).

• Official final transcripts are required before you can attend class. Uploading or submitting a copy of your final transcript(s) to the Hawk Portal or to our main admissions email will not suffice, as it is still considered unofficial. 
  • Your school(s) should directly submit your final high school and/or college transcript(s). If you’ve completed dual enrollment, transcripts must be separately requested and sent electronically from the college attended.
  • If you’ve earned college credit by taking Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams while in high school, you can provide official transcripts to UMES (AP and IB transcripts are in addition to your official final high school transcript).
  • Transcripts can be sent electronically via:
    • your school’s designated online transcript system
    • Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse [Select “UMES undergraduate admissions” ONLY. If you do not see this option, please scroll to the next page. Keep a confirmation receipt for follow-up purposes].
    • Baltimore Schools: https://bcsmd.scriborder.com/
• Contact your advisor Your advisor will be listed in your HawkWeb account to get your class schedule. Access via the MyUMES login. If you have trouble finding this information contact the Center for Access and Academic Success (CAAS).
  • Select Hawk Web (student center)
  • Select student center
  • On the right-hand side, you will see a section that says advisor
• On-Campus Housing Complete your housing reservation online using the following steps from Office of Residence Life (ORL) :
  • Log in to MyUMES on a computer (not a mobile device). Click on the Hawkville icon (the maroon icon that has the image of a bed/house). Select and complete the correct application
  • Pay the $300 deposit with a debit/credit card
  • If you are requesting an exemption, complete the Office of Residence Life On-Campus Exemption Form.
• Find a Roommate If you’re looking for a roommate, download the ZeeMee app. You will be added to the UMES community and to the channel to chat with other prospective students who are also in search of a roommate during their college admissions process. College visits and UMES campus tours are a great chance to meet potential friends and roommates as you prepare to move to campus.
• Mandatory Orientation New Hawk Day Orientation registration is required. Register in your Hawk Portal. New Hawk Day will be your official welcome to the Hawk Family! You will meet key members of the campus community, register for your courses, and take care of any other outstanding business.
• Hawk Payments Pay your student bill found on HawkWeb App.
  • Select Hawk Web (student center)
  • You can make a payment under the Finance tab
• Complete your Health and Immunization forms Submit to the Health Center by the deadline indicated on the form. You may have provided your medical records to your high school before you were able to enroll. Please request that your school forward your medical records to UMES, or provide them to you, before your graduation from high school. This will save you substantial delays in your enrollment process once you begin at UMES.
• Schedule a time to visit your new home.
• Take the Next Step. Congratulations again for joining the Hawk family! If you have questions about any part of the college admissions process or how to set up college visits, please reach out to us.
• Stay connected with our student lead social media team.

Chapter 30 – Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty – MGIB-AD)

Chapter 31 – Vocational Rehabilitation (VR&E)

Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill (Active Duty or Veteran)

Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill (Spouse or Dependent)

Chapter 35 – Survivors and Dependents Assistance (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance – DEA)

Chapter 1606 – Montgomery GI Bill (Selected Reserve – MGIB-SR)

Chapter 1607 – Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)

Survivors and Dependents Assistance (Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship)

Tuition Assistance Top Up (Only Available for Recipients of MGIB-AD and Post 9/11 GI Bill)

Veteran Education Benefits Veterans are certified on a per semester basis (i.e., benefits do not automatically roll over from one semester to another). All returning students must complete the UMES Veterans Education Benefits Request Form prior to the beginning of each semester (fall and spring; winter and summer are optional) so that benefits will not be interrupted. The office serves a large group of students; to avoid delays in processing claims it is extremely important to submit all the requested supporting documents in a timely manner, immediately upon registering for the upcoming term.

To prevent delays in receipt of benefits, the University is required to notify the Department of Veteran Affairs of the following changes:
•Credit level or grading option change
•Change of major
•Change of address
•Term of graduation
•Academic probation or dismissal
•Intent to transfer from the UMES campus

Veteran Student Resources

Center for Access and Academic Success: https://www.umes.edu/caas/

Office of the Registrar: https://www.umes.edu/registrar/

The Yellow Ribbon Program can help you pay for higher out-of-state, private school, or graduate school tuition that the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t cover.

Program Benefits If you qualify, your school will contribute a certain amount toward your extra tuition and fees through a grant, scholarship, or similar program. We’ll match the contribution. You must qualify for the maximum benefit rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. To qualify, at least one of these must be true:

• Served at least 36 months on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service)
• Received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service
• Served for at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break) on or after September 11, 2001, and were discharged after 60 days with a service-connected disability
• Are a dependent child using benefits transferred by a Veteran or a service member who has served for at least 36 months on active duty and qualifies at the 100% level, or Find out about transferring Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
• Are a Fry Scholar (eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program on or after August 1, 2018)

Note: At this time, you’re not eligible for the maximum benefit rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill if you’re an active-duty service member or the spouse of an active-duty service member. But, as of August 1, 2022, you may become eligible if you’re an active-duty service member who qualifies at the 100% level, or the spouse using the transferred benefits of an active-duty service member who qualifies at the 100% level. 

Department of Veterans Affairs: About GI Bill® Education Benefits 

Department of Veterans Affairs: How to Apply for the GI Bill® 

Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill® Comparison Tool 

Restoration of Benefits After School Closure or if a​ School is Disapproved for GI Bill® Benefits

NEED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE?

Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) 

Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship

​Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA)

MDVA – State Resource Guide

Maryland National Guard Education Partners​ 

Scholarships and grants are facilitated by the Office of Student Financial Assistance. Please send all scholarship and grant related inquiries to osfamail.mhec@maryland.gov or call (800) 974-0203.

• Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program ​
• Jean B. Cryor Memorial Scholarship Program
• Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts (VAIC) Scholarship Program