2026 Rising Star Scholarship Program

Award Amount $5,000 - $5,500

Application opens January 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026

Eligibility

  • Be current residents of the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC)

  • Be high school seniors or high school graduates who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate for the first time in the Fall of 2026

    • Students who have taken college courses or enrolled in Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) full-time are eligible to apply.

    • Minimum GPA 2.5

  • Attend an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year

Requirements

  • As part of your application, you must upload the following:

    • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:

      • Student name

      • School name

      • Grades

      • Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

NOTE:

If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.

One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than March 31, 2026 by 5:00 PM.

Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.

Selection of Recipients

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:

  • Academic performance

  • Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities

  • Work experience

  • A statement of educational and career goals and objectives

  • Unusual personal or family circumstances

Resident Services Inc. will select five scholarship finalists based upon the criteria noted above.

payment of scholarships

Resident Services Inc. will mail checks to the student’s home address and made payable to the school selected.