Financial Resources for Students

Managing my finances

Let’s face it–a college education costs a lot of money. Thanks to scholarships, financial aid and rich uncles, most of us manage to successfully finance our education.

Finding financial support, dealing with loans, and managing our own personal finances can be challenging. The resources on this page are intended to address each of these challenges.

But first, file your FAFSA on time at www.fafsa.gov.  The on-time deadline at UMaine is March 1.

Finding financial support

Frequently check the Scholarships folder on FirstClass. To find this folder, go to: Student Resources>UMaine Academics>Academics Related Links>Scholarships. To add this folder directly to your FC desktop, right-click the Scholarships folder and select Add to Desktop.

Frequently check the Scholarships page on the Student Financial Aid page.

Explore the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) education pages. There you will find a search engine to help you find scholarships that match your selection criteria, as well as links to several other free scholarship search sites. You will also see their message:

“Only use free scholarship searches. You should never have to pay for scholarship information.”

Explore the Maine Education Services (MES).  MES is a non-profit organization created to foster and promote access to higher education. MES provides best in class products and services to Maine students and families who need assistance in financing their higher education. MES is an administrator and servicer of student loans and scholarships. Here you will find links to specific scholarships, information about student loans and the “College Road Map.”

Register and create your own profile at FastWeb. FastWeb will match you to scholarships that fit your needs. They also have answers and tips to your financial aid questions. This is a free service, of course!

Dealing with loans

If your financial aid package includes loans, you can learn more about them, manage them, complete an exit interview (when you have finished your degree or stopped out), and look for additional loans at: Student Financial Aid page.

Financial Literacy 101

Financial Literacy 101 is an online financial literacy course designed for the specific challenges faced by today’s college student. It is available for free to all Program students. Contact your TRIO-SSS Counselor or call 581-2320 for your access code. Contact us for your code to access Financial Literacy!

• Financial Basics – Budgeting & Financial Planning, Overspending, Banking Your Money, Dealing with Debit & Credit Cards, Mixing Money & Family, Protecting Your Credit, Preventing Identity Theft, Avoiding Quick Financial Fixes, Setting Financial Goals, Saving Money, Planning to Be Rich, Planning for Retirement.
• Paying for College – Understanding Financial Aid, Repaying Student Loans, Scholarship Information, Federal Aid Programs, Other Sources of Financial Assistance, Financing Graduate School.
• College Life -  Living at College, Living in the Digital Age, Buying or Leasing a Car, Studying Abroad, Handling Peer Pressure, Paying for Fraternities & Sororities, Gambling, Paying for Spring Break.
• World of Work – Finding Work Opportunities, Applying for Work, Assessing Job Offers, Understanding Insurance, Taxes.
• Economic Survival Tips – Your Parents’ Situation, Housing During Economic Hard Times, Income and Employment, Paying for college.

For more detailed information or to access services, please contact us at 581-2320 by e-mail at: csp@umit.maine.edu