Elementary Scholarship Criteria

GEOGRAPHY
The student and family must reside in, be registered in a Catholic parish, and have applied for admission into the fifth grade at a Catholic parish elementary school in one of the following geographic areas:

Anne Arundel County
Baltimore City
Baltimore County
Carroll County
Frederick County
Harford County
Howard County

AGE
The student must be in the fourth grade at the time of application. The student may be currently attending a Catholic elementary 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

Students currently enrolled in an Archdiocesan school:

The student must have scored in the 92nd percentile or above in each section of the MAP Assessment administered in an Archdiocesan Catholic school. The sections considered are listed below. We accept scores from the Grade 4 January test only. No other standardized test scores will be considered.

Reading
Language Usage
Math

Students who are not currently enrolled in an Archdiocesan school:

The student must have scored in the 92nd percentile or above in each section of the MAP Assessment administered in an Archdiocesan Catholic school. The sections considered are listed below. We accept scores from the Grade 4 January test only, and only those test results from an Archdiocesan school will be accepted. No other standardized test scores will be considered. For Knott Scholarship consideration, the entire battery of MAP tests must be taken, not a shortened version for admission purposes.

Reading
Language Usage
Math

Notes about additional testing:

Private testing results will ONLY be accepted in either of the following two scenarios:

1. If the student is absent from school and misses one or more sections of the test, 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.
   • 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.
2. If the student attends a private, public, or home school, they may be tested privately.
   • The student may be tested only once and those results are the only results that will be accepted.
   • Please contact the school your child is interested in attending to register for a MAP Assessment. There will be a fee of $25, payable to the host school, for test administration. The host school may waive the fee at their discretion.

GRADES

The student’s last third grade report card (last quarter or trimester) and first quarter (or trimester) report card grade for fourth grade must be a minimum numeric grade of 93 in each of the following areas:

Reading/Literature/English/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. Confirmation of admission to a Catholic school must be included in the Knott Scholarship application when submitted.
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, 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.
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.

1. 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 form 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 a PFS. If you are not asking for financial need consideration, no tax information will be required.

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

All completed elementary 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.

Public announcement of results will be on or about March 28, 2025.

• Catholic or officially converted
• Reside in and attend Catholic parish school in designated counties in the Archdiocese of Baltimore
• 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
• Submitted reference
• Essay – details of which are located in the application

The portal will open on January 20, 2025.

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 directly by the school 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 Pinning Ceremony which will be held on Sunday, April 6, 2025. This year’s ceremony will take place 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 listed in 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.