Secondary Scholarship Criteria

Read through all the general application requirements listed below. Students who do not meet ALL the necessary requirements will not be considered for the scholarship and need not apply.

Only qualifying applications will be reviewed. Our FAQ’s provide additional information on how to navigate the application process.

FOR ALL APPLICANTS:

• Before beginning, parents should collect and have readily available:
  • A copy of your child’s baptismal certificate
  • Contact information for your child’s current principal
  • Contact information for the principal of the school your child hopes to attend
  • A person identified who knows your child well (either the principal, guidance counselor, or current teacher) who will fill out the reference/ evaluation portion of the application, along with their contact information.
  • Parents should download the following form, complete the top portion, and submit this to their registered parish.  Once the completed form is returned to the parent or guardian, it can be uploaded with the application.  The form must be dated no earlier than January 5, 2026.  We will not accept the form from th parish, it must be uploaded as part of the application.  To download the parish Verification Form, click here.

TO BEGIN THE PROCESS:

• Parents may begin their child’s application by accessing the portal beginning on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026. Parents are welcome to return the application as often as needed, while it is in draft form, to complete it before final submission. Should any additional material be required, the Knott Scholarship Office will notify the applicant and re-open the application if necessary.
• The admission letter for the high school of your choice is part of the application and may be uploaded later.  All secondary applications will be re-opened to allow this part of the application to be completed.  It is recommended that you submit your application as soon as you have all the required materials and test scores so that the application can be thoroughly reviewed in advance of the high school acceptance letter.
• As soon as the application is submitted, the principal and/or reference is notified that they have an application pending. The Knott Scholarship Funds Office will inform you when all portions of the application are received. You will be notified when the evaluation is submitted. The application can be submitted before the evaluation is received and it will automatically upload to our application.

For Students currently enrolled in Archdiocesan Schools:

• If chosen as the evaluator/reference, the principal must complete that portion of the application… If the principal is not the designated evaluator/reference, it is the responsibility of that person to fill out the reference form and submit it before the deadline.
• Grades and test scores will be supplied by the Archdiocese directly to the Knott Scholarship Funds office.  The principal does not have to input any grades or test scores.

For Students who are not currently enrolled in an Archdiocesan School:

• Non-Archdiocesan schools include Independent Catholic, Private, Public, or Home School. For these applicants it is the responsibility of the principal to upload all requested information and documentation to the application before the deadline. This will include grades, converted into numerical values if needed, for the last grading period of 7th grade (quarter or trimester) and the first grading period of 8th grade (quarter or trimester). If chosen as the evaluator/reference, the principal must complete that portion of the application as well. If the principal is not the designated  evaluator, it is the responsibility of that designated individual (teacher, guidance counselor) to fill out the  required form and submit it before the deadline.
• For public schools, the grade conversion may have to be accomplished by the guidance office. It is suggested you reach out to them as well at this time.
• For home school students, please click here to download additional information.
• Completed applications are submitted to the Knott Scholarship Funds for evaluation.
• Once evaluated, the applicant may be invited to interview. All interviews will take place on March 18, 19, and 21, 2026.  Additional details will be made available during the application process.
• Announcement of Knott Scholarship Funds Awardees will be made around April 14, 2026.

GEOGRAPHY
The student and family must reside in, be registered in a Catholic parish, and have applied for admission into a Catholic high school in one of the following geographic areas:
Alleghany County
Anne Arundel County
Baltimore City
Baltimore County
Carroll County
Frederick County
Garrett County
Harford County
Howard County
Washington County

AGE
The student must be in the 8th grade at the time of application. The student may be currently attending a Catholic school, a public school, a private school, or home school.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION AND PARISH VERIFICATION
The student must be a baptized Catholic or convert officially into the Catholic Church by a priest. . The baptismal certificate, as well as the Parish Verification Form, will need to be submitted with the application. To download the Parish Verification Form (if you have not done so already), click here.

TEST SCORES
TWO standardized test scores are required for a student to be considered for a Secondary Knott Scholarship. These are the High School Placement Test (HSPT) and the MAP assessment test. We do not accept any other test results, including MAP Maryland State Testing. MAP testing must take place at a Catholic school for the results to be accepted.

1. The Archdiocese of Baltimore High School Admissions Test (HSPT).
The HSPT is administered in the fourth quarter of the calendar year and is part of the Catholic high school admissions process. Students must earn a minimum Composite Score (CMP) in the 95th percentile. Students who do not take the HSPT or earn a CMP at or below the 94th percentile will not be considered for the Knott Scholarship.

2. The MAP Assessment
Students currently attending an Archdiocesan elementary school will take this test during the normal school day in January 2026. The January test will be the only test results used.

Students NOT currently attending an Archdiocesan elementary school:
Once the HSPT results are known and the student has earned a composite score in the 95th percentile, the student should make arrangements to take the MAP assessment at a Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The MAP results taken as part of the State of Maryland assessment (administered in several local public-school systems) will NOT be accepted. The student may be tested one time only and that is the only test result that will be accepted.
To enquire about the MAP Assessment, Catholic parents may contact the admissions/enrollment department of any high school they are interested in having their child attend to arrange to test at that facility. MAP testing may be taken at any Catholic high school. The student must achieve at least a 92nd percentile score or above in each of the following areas to qualify for scholarship consideration:

Reading
Mathematics
Language Usage

Notes about Retesting:
Retesting results will ONLY be accepted for students currently attending an Archdiocesan school if the student is absent from school and misses one or more sections of the test.

In that case, the parent must:

• Present proof of the absence in the form of a letter from the principal stating that the student missed a portion of the test. This documentation will be required as part of the application.
• Arrange for the student to be retested at their current school, in all the required areas.
• All test results must come from the same test.
• Students who miss a MAP Assessment for which they register privately will have to re-register for an alternative date. Only one set of test scores will be accepted.

GRADES
The student’s 7th grade last report card grades, (quarter or trimester) as well at the first report card grade for eighth grade, (quarter or trimester) must be a minimum numeric grade of 93 in each of the following areas:

Reading/Literature/English/Writing/Vocabulary/Spelling (Language Arts)
Social Studies
Mathematics
Science

Notes about grades:

• If any grade for the above subjects is below 93, the student is not eligible to apply.
• If the student’s school gives individual grades in Language Arts subjects, each subject must meet the minimum 93 standard.
• If the student’s grading system does not supply numeric grades, a conversion by the school is required along with an official transcript.

1. Proof of acceptance to a Catholic high school must be included in the Knott Scholarship Funds application by the parent or guardian for scholarship evaluation. Acceptance letters are usually sent in mid-February. Parents are responsible for including a copy of the acceptance letter and only applications with acceptance letters will be considered complete and will be evaluated.
2. Students exempt from tuition due to a parent’s employment by the school or parish are eligible to apply for a Knott Scholarship. Scholarship payments must be applied to that student’s tuition. The school has the discretion to apply its exemption to other expenses.
3. Students are ranked according to the data submitted in the application. We do not accept, nor do we read, outside letters of recommendation or support.
4. ‘Eligibility for a Knott Scholarship’ means initial eligibility. Qualified students will fall into the range of many other high achieving students. Meeting initial eligibility criteria does not mean a student will receive a scholarship. Each year we receive more qualified applications than funds to distribute.
5. By applying for a Knott Scholarship, the applicant understands that grades and test scores will be supplied to the Knott Scholarship Funds office by their current school or the Archdioceses of Baltimore.
6. BY APPLYING FOR A KNOTT SCHOLARSHIP, STUDENTS, PARENTS, GUARDIANS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL AGREE THAT ALL INFORMATION RECEIVED BY THE KNOTT SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS, REGARDING GRADES, TEST SCORE, EVALUATION, OR TAX RETURNS, FROM ANY SOURCE, IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND WILL NOT BE DISCLOSED OR DISCUSSED WITH ANYONE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: APPLICANTS, PARENTS, GUARDIANS OR SCHOOL PERSONNEL. ALL DECISIONS ARE FINAL.

Knott Scholarships are based primarily on outstanding academic achievement. However, a small amount of consideration may be given for extreme financial need. The applicant must meet all requirements stated above, including all academic requirements, before financial need is considered.

To determine eligibility for this consideration we use FACTS. A link to the FACTS website and the code you will need to use it are embedded in the portal application.

Tax information may be required ONLY IF you have submitted information to FACTS. If you are not asking for financial need consideration, no tax information will be required. The Knott Scholarship Offices reserve the right to request copies of your latest Federal Income Tax return, including all schedules if used.

The portal will be open for applications beginning Monday, January 28, 2026.

All completed secondary scholarship applications must be submitted to our office no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, March 6th 2026. Applications received after this deadline will not be processed regardless of the reason for the delay.

Announcement of results will be on or about April 14, 2026.

• Catholic or officially converted
• Reside in and be accepted to attend Catholic high school in designated counties in the Archdiocese of Baltimore
• Minimum 95th composite percentile score for the HSPT test
• Minimum Score in the 92nd percentile for the MAP Assessment in each category: Reading, Math, and Language Usage
• Grades a minimum of 93 in Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, and
• Science for both marking periods (last for 7th grade, first for 8th grade)
• Submitted evaluation
• Submitted Parish Verification Form

The portal will open on January 28, 2026 and close on March 6th, 2026. Once closed, your child may be invited to interview. If an interview is requested, it will take place the week of March 16th.

1. Newly designated Scholars will be required to attend the Knott Scholarship Pinning Ceremony which will be held on Sunday, April 26, 2026. This year’s ceremony will take place at  St. Joe Fullerton Church 8420 Belair Road Baltimore, MD. 21236.  If a student is not available to attend the Pinning Ceremony, the scholarship will not be awarded. Additional details to follow.
2. Once awarded, students, parents, guardians, and school personnel understand that ongoing grade reports will be supplied to the Knott Scholarship Funds office to monitor a scholar’s progress for the entire four years of the scholarship.
3. Students will be required to complete an annual “Scholar Profile” survey and keep their contact information up to date to maintain the scholarship
4. Knott Scholars are required to attend annual events (service, networking, etc.) sponsored by the Knott Scholarship Funds office to maintain their scholarship.
5. Scholarship awards are non-transferable.  The student must attend the school to which he or she has listed on the application.
6. Students, and their parent or guardian, will be asked to complete a form acknowledging the conditions above. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the forfeiture of the scholarship.

All applications will be received through the application portal, which can be accessed via the APPLY button.