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College Park highlights expansion of need‑based aid and research gains while outlining steps to address state funding cuts
Summary
University of Maryland, College Park officials told the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee that recent investments such as the Terrapin Commitment have increased need‑based aid and Pell enrollment, and that the campus will slow hiring and cut nonpersonnel expenses to absorb state funding reductions.
University of Maryland, College Park President Pines told the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee in Annapolis that the flagship campus is prioritizing need‑based aid and managing expenses to address reduced state support while continuing research and innovation programs.
Sarah Baker, a DLS analyst, opened the College Park presentation with enrollment and aid trends. Baker said first‑time applications peaked above 60,000 in 2024 and that fall 2024 enrollment grew 1.8% driven mainly by a 20% increase in transfer students. She noted institutional aid spending rose 63% and totaled $93,900,000 in fiscal 2024, driven in part by the launch of the Terrapin Commitment in spring 2023, a program designed to close the remaining gap between a student’s aid package and the cost of attendance for in‑state Pell‑eligible students.
President Pines said the Terrapin Commitment is the largest single‑year investment in need‑based aid in the university’s history and that the program raised the Pell share at College Park from 16% to 21%. Pines also highlighted institutional research rankings and partnerships, including the MPOWER collaboration with the University of Maryland Baltimore, and said the campus will take steps to address the current reduction in state support.
“To manage expenses, we plan to slow down our hiring and strategically manage positions. We will reduce non‑personnel expenses including but not limited to travel, the use of professional consultants, supplies and materials, and equipment purchases,” Pines said. He added the university will pursue revenue opportunities such as expanding professional master’s degree programs and entrepreneurial activities and that safety of students, faculty and staff would be prioritized in any reductions.
Baker’s analysis included program and budget details. DLS reported state funds for College Park increased 4.9% when excluding certain salary adjustments; the fiscal 2026 allowance included $1.4 million for equipment debt service related to a new building, $1.0 million to restore funding for a joint steering committee, and $750,000 mandated by statute for the University of Maryland Institute of Health Computing. DLS asked the institution to comment on how it will address a reduction in state support and reported that instruction expenditures decreased due to a one‑time $40,000,000 transfer to the plant fund in 2024.
Committee members thanked Pines for the presentation and pressed for additional questions; no formal committee action is recorded in the transcript from this item.
The university’s requested actions and DLS recommendations were presented as part of the system overview; DLS recommended consulting the USM systemwide overview for system‑level budget proposals. No final votes or legislative actions were recorded on the College Park item during this hearing.
