2022-2023 BOOST Scholarship Application Requirements Announced

Prospective families who wish to be considered for the BOOST Program scholarships should review the application requirements recently publicized for the 2022-2023 academic year.  The application window is not yet open, but please note, the timeframe to apply will be short.  Take time to get your application requirements together ahead of time!

The BOOST Program provides scholarships for students who are eligible for the Free or Reduced-Price Meals program (FARMS).  Awards are granted based on household income, with the lowest income served first. The online applications for BOOST Scholarships must include documents supporting income eligibility and school enrollment. 

Required Application Documents:

You MUST submit two types of documents with your application to be considered for a scholarship award:
  • 2021 Federal Income tax return - (all pages of tax return including schedules)
  • Documentation from a participating nonpublic school that the student is enrolled or has applied for admission to the school.

Both required documents must be in pdf file format and uploaded to the BOOST online application.

Application Requirements:

  1. Students has submitted an application, been accepted or enrolled at a BOOST participating nonpublic school. The list of potential participating schools is available in a link on the main BOOST webpage. 
  2. Household income reported on Federal Income Tax return tax year 2021 forms must be within the FARMS threshold limits for household size and income.*
  3. If the student is in Informal Kinship Care, an affidavit verifying Informal Kinship Care must be submitted. To obtain the affidavit, download the Informal Kinship Care form.

*ONLY if by law you are not required to file a federal income tax return and have not submitted a federal income tax return to the IRS, you may complete and submit an alternative income verification form with supporting documentation necessary to verify income. Detailed information regarding who is required to file a federal income tax return can be found on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website. An inter-active, on-line IRS interview that provides additional information regarding who must file a federal tax return and who should file to receive a refund can be found on the IRS webpage "Do I Need to File a Tax Return?." The Internal Revenue Service announced that the nation's tax season will start on Monday, January 24, 2022, when the tax agency will begin accepting and processing 2021 tax year returns.

For additional information, please contact the BOOST Program - boost.msde@maryland.gov