Waivers and Reductions

If you fall into one of the following student groups, you may qualify for a tuition waiver or reduction.

In every case, all fees that are not waived must be paid on or before the due date.

Students with Disabilities

For Maryland residents certified as disabled by the Social Security Administration (SSI or SSDI), the college waives tuition charges for credit and certain qualified noncredit continuing education courses.

Refer to detailed instructions below.

Senior Adults

For Maryland residents 60 years and older, the college waives tuition charges for credit and eligible continuing education courses.

Learn more about registering as a senior adult.

Foster Care and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

The Maryland Higher Education Commission has programs to grant tuition waivers for foster care and unaccompanied homeless youth. A Maryland foster care or Maryland unaccompanied homeless youth waiver recipient is exempt from paying tuition and mandatory fees if the recipient:

1. Completes and files the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA) each year. The MSFAA can only be submitted up to March 1.
2. Be enrolled on or before he or she reaches the age of 25
3. Be enrolled full time or part time for an associate, bachelor's or a vocational certificate at a Maryland public institution of higher education. Noncredit courses taken to earn a vocational certificate also qualify for tuition waiver.

To start the process at AACC, students should complete the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Maryland State Financial Aid Application MSFAA for the current academic year and list AACC as a college you want to receive your FAFSA information. AACC’s Federal School Code is 002058. Students should contact the AACC Financial Aid Office to start the application process for the waiver upon receipt of the FAFSA or MSFAA being received. We recommend students check their MyAACC emails regularly and to confirm your FAFSA or MSFAA is received. You can view your financial aid information and gain access to the waiver applications by going to MyAACC > Self-Services > Financial Aid.

Students are eligible to receive the waiver if they meet all eligibility criteria as required. Students are only eligible for the waiver for 10 years after first enrolling as a candidate for an associate, bachelor's or a vocational certificate at a Maryland public institution of higher education. If your application for the waiver is denied, you will be sent an email from the AACC financial aid office along with information about your right to appeal and instructions on how to do so.

Early College High School Students

Eligible AACPS students who take classes while in high school will no longer be charged tuition and fees. Eligible AACPS affiliated home-schooled students or students that attend a partnering private school can take classes at a 50% discount.

Learn more about ECAP.

Maryland Dream Act

The Maryland Dream Act allows certain high school graduates who are undocumented immigrants, and who meet the prescribed requirements, the opportunity to qualify for special tuition rates at AACC.

Learn more about the Maryland Dream Act.

Members of the Maryland National Guard

Students who are members of the Maryland National Guard are eligible for a waiver of 50 percent of their tuition for credit courses at Anne Arundel Community College. To qualify for this waiver, members of the Maryland National Guard must submit their State Tuition Waiver (STW) Letter signed by their unit commander to the cashier’s office each term. The remaining tuition and fees must be paid on or before the due date. Students must be enrolled in regularly scheduled credit courses with sufficient tuition paying students to warrant the college’s offering the classes. Direct questions to the cashier’s office at cashiersoffice@aacc.edu.

Tuition for parents of a deaf or hard-of-hearing child

In compliance with the Code of Maryland Regulations starting Oct. 1, 2019, a parent of a deaf or hard-of-hearing child may take one course that teaches a language or communication mode at AACC and is exempt from paying tuition at AACC for that course. Eligible individuals must make arrangement with the cashier's office prior to the first payment due date.

Social Security Tuition Waiver for Students Receiving SSI or SSDI

In accordance with Maryland law § 16-106c and the procedures set by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, Anne Arundel Community College waives tuition charges for Maryland residents enrolled in credit and certain qualified noncredit continuing education courses who are certified as retired or disabled by the Social Security Administration.

The waiver is available for tuition charges for up to six credits designed to lead to employment, including life skills per term without declaring a degree or certificate program. The tuition waiver is available for up to 12 credits per term for students who have declared a degree or certificate program that leads to employment.

Eligibility Requirements 

1. A resident of Maryland who is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and out of the workforce because of a permanent disability as defined by the Social Security Act, the Railroad Retirement Act or, in the case of former federal employees, the Office of Personnel Management. Individuals receiving SSI or SSDI benefits as a dependent or survivor of a disabled beneficiary do not qualify for this waiver.
2. In accordance with state regulations, students enrolled in a degree or certificate program who are requesting the Social Security Tuition Waiver must annually file and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than March 1 of the award year. Include AACC school code 002058.
3. Prior to the first scheduled day of class, students must provide a current Benefit Verification Letter from the Social Security Administration (or Railroad Retirement board or former federal employer) to the Cashiers office cashiersoffice@aacc.edu. Benefit Verification Letters are valid for one year from the date of the letter.
4. Fees (not covered under the Social Security Tuition Waiver) and any remaining tuition charges must be paid on or before the due date. Call the cashier's office at 410-777-2236 to make this payment. Only payment prevents students from being dropped from courses. 
5. Awarded grants and scholarships will be applied first to pay tuition. The waiver will only be applied if grants and scholarships do not cover the full term tuition charge. Student loans or Federal Work Study funds are not a grant or scholarship and therefore not considered.
6. Colleges reserve the right to discontinue the tuition waiver for a student enrolling in a course with less than 10 regularly enrolled students.

Learn more about applying for financial aid.

NONCREDIT OR CONTINUING EDUCATION STUDENTS

Noncredit students may now have the Social Security Waiver applied to certain qualified noncredit continuing education courses (those designed to lead to employment, including life skills).

Learn more about Social Security Waivers for noncredit studies.