Secondary Scholarship Criteria

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:
Allegany 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 eighth 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
The student must be a baptized Catholic or convert officially into the Catholic Church by a priest.

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 December and is part of the Catholic high school admissions process. Students must earn a 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 2024. 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 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:
Reading
Mathematics
Language Usage
to qualify for scholarship consideration.

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 seventh 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 admission to a Catholic high school must be included in the Knott Scholarship application by the parent or guardian for scholarship evaluation. Acceptance letters are usually sent in early 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. 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 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.  You may be asked to send a copy of your latest Federal Income Tax return, including all schedules if used, to the Knott Scholarship offices prior to receiving an award. A link to the FACTS website and the code you will need to use it are embedded in the portal application (via APPLY button below).

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 portal will be open for applications beginning Monday, January 20, 2025.

All completed secondary scholarship applications must be submitted to our office no later than 5:00 pm on Thursday, February 27th, 2025. Applications received after this deadline will not be processed regardless of the reason for the delay.

Announcement of results will be on or about March 22, 2025.

• 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 reference

The portal will open on January, and close on February 27, 2025. Once closed, your child may be invited to interview. If an interview is requested, it will take place the week of March 12th.

1. Students who are awarded Knott Scholarships will be asked to provide a letter from the pastor of his/her parish affirming that the student is a registered member of the parish. Applicants will be notified if this letter is necessary.
2. Once awarded, students, parents, guardians, and school personnel understand that ongoing grade reports will be supplied to the Knott Scholarship office to monitor a scholar’s progress for the entire four years of the scholarship.
3. Newly designated Scholars will be required to attend the Knott Scholarship Funds Pinning Ceremony, to be officially recognized. This year’s ceremony will take place on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at Resurrection-St. Paul Church in Ellicott City. Additional details to follow.
4. Students will be required to complete an annual “Scholar Profile” survey and keep their contact information up to date.
5. Knott Scholars are required to attend annual events (service, networking, etc.) sponsored by the Knott Scholarship Funds Office
6. Scholarship awards are non-transferable.  The student must attend the school to which he or she has listed on the application.
7. 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.