By Mallory Carlson ’19

Larry Hogan, the current governor of Maryland, signed an executive order on January 27 that creates the Maryland Early Graduation Scholarship Program. This program aims to make college more affordable for students who complete high school in three years or less.

Under the program, students who have confirmed their acceptance to “any approved postsecondary educational institution in Maryland,” within six months of graduating early, as the state government’s website explained, will benefit from a scholarship of up to $6,000 for tuition and other expenses.

The scholarship program will also save the state a tidy sum of money. Officials estimate that about 1,000 students would be eligible to receive the scholarship per year. Maryland spends about $7.4 million dollars putting 1,000 students through one year of public school. With this program, the state would be spending $6 million on giving scholarships instead, therefore saving about $1.4 million dollars each year.

Although there are benefits to the new program, some are concerned that the incentive will pressure students to rush through school, causing them not to be prepared for college. As found in the comments of a recent Washington Post article, many have expressed dismay at Hogan’s decision. Among the comments are concerns for students’ wellbeing as they are already under pressure from rigorous coursework, and questions of Hogan’s real motive for the order—whether it was driven by helping students or helping the state’s budget.