Supporting the Federal Workforce
Web Announcement/News Release
The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business has been proud to educate business-minded professionals in and around our federal workforce for more than a century. Accompanying them through challenges and preparing them for new opportunities is core to our mission.
For nearly a decade the Smith School has offered a 30 percent tuition discount to federal civil service employees (FedGrant). In light of the considerable changes projected for this workforce and sector, any applicant employed within the U.S. federal civil service at the start of 2025, regardless of their federal employment status at the time of admission, will qualify for:
30 percent tuition discount for the first year of courses in any eligible graduate business degree program, or an equivalent scholarship. Eligible programs include:
STEM-designated Master’s Degrees in:
- Accounting
- Business Analytics*
- Finance
- Information Systems
- Management Studies*
- Marketing Analytics
- Quantitative Finance
- Supply Chain Management
* Although these programs offer both online and in-person options, only the in-person option is qualified for the FedGrant discount.
STEM-designated MBA Programs:
30 percent fee discount on any existing executive education training course or workshop (in-person or virtual).
Additionally, any alum of the University of Maryland, College Park, who was terminated or retired from federal civil service in 2025 will qualify for complimentary enrollment in any Smith School self-paced online professional certificate program. These include:
- Foundations of Business
- AI for Business Leaders
- Climate Finance and Risk Management
- Python Programming for Business
- Technology Leadership and Governance
These provisions will remain valid for applications or enrollment processed during calendar year 2025. They are intended for federal civil employees and do not apply to members of the military or uniformed services. Military veterans who are currently federal civil employees are also eligible for this benefit. The discounted tuition rate applies only to tuition; it does not apply to fees and associated costs such as housing, books or global courses.
The State of Maryland resource site for federal workers reports: “There are approximately 160,000 federal civilian jobs in Maryland, representing approximately six percent of jobs in the state. Maryland has the second-highest concentration of federal employees in the nation, behind only Washington, D.C.” Support of the federal workforce reflects our core belief that the prosperity of Maryland’s economy is a collective responsibility. The Smith School is ready to welcome members of the federal civil service who did not enter 2025 expecting to transition, but are seeking to upskill, re-skill and improve their career prospects through graduate management education.