Types of financial aid

Federal Pell Grants are for income eligible students and are the first and largest grants to be awarded. All eligible students will receive an award. Other awards may be added to the student’s “financial aid package” to meet remaining student needs.

• Awards are available to full-time (12 or more credits per semester), three-fourths-time (9 to 11 credits per term), half-time (6 to 8 credits per term) and less-than-half-time (1 to 5 credits per term) enrolled students.

• Only undergraduates who have not yet earned a first baccalaureate degree are eligible.

• Pell Grant life-time eligibility is capped at the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters (this amount is prorated for part-time students—for example, 24 half-time semesters, 18 ¾-time semesters). Two full-time semesters equals one award year, and the Department of Education considers that 100%. Therefore, maximum lifetime Pell eligibility is 600%. Students can go to www.nslds.ed.gov sign in using their federal PIN, and check the percentage of Pell eligibility they have used. An approximation of the amount of Pell the student has used appears as a comment on the student’s FAFSA.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG’s) are awarded to students with exceptional need who are also receiving Federal Pell Grants. All part-time and full-time students may qualify for awards, but due to limited funding, all eligible students will not receive awards. Only undergraduates who have not yet earned a first baccalaureate degree are eligible.

State of Maine Grant Programs – These awards are to students by the State of Maine who demonstrate a level of financial need and are full-time students. Part-time awards are available only to students with a certain level of need that are enrolled at least half-time (6 to 8 credit hours per term). Only undergraduates who have not yet earned a first baccalaureate degree are eligible. Students may only receive the Maine State Grant award for a maximum of 10 full-time semesters or its equivalency.

Bernard Osher Scholarship’s are available to students who are Maine residents who have a financial need and enrolled full-time (12 credit hours per term) in associate degree programs. Recipients will be known as Osher Scholars and must maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average to retain eligibility for continued awards during each year of enrollment.

Osher Scholarship for Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies are granted to first-semester, first-year students who are Maine residents taking at least six credits in their first semester and who have accumulated no more than 24 college credits.

Several scholarships exist to help students who need assistance with the cost of child care in order to attend a Maine community college. Learn more about the Rural Initiative Child Care Scholarship and the Perkins Child Care Grant.

Federal Work Study provides part-time jobs for students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay for college.

The Opportunity Maine program provides a tax credit to help cover the payment of some student loans for eligible Maine students who graduate from a Maine community college and then work and pay taxes in Maine.

Loans are borrowed and must be repaid with interest. Detailed information about how to apply for loans is available on the Student Loans page of our website.