Completing Your Fafsa
Fafsa Opens
October 1
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA is the only financial aid application UMaine accepts
Priority Filing Deadline
Complete the FAFSA on time to Maximize Aid Eligibility
March 1
All first year and returning students
June 1
Incoming Transfer Students only
Verification Deadline
Submit Additional Documents if Selected for Verification
May 1
All first year and returning students
July 1
Incoming Transfer Students only
A StudentAid.Gov Account is a username and password that allows you to access the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Everyone who reports information on the FAFSA needs their own StudentAid.Gov Account, including students and contributors (parents, spouses).
You can use your StudentAid.Gov Account to:
- Access and complete the FAFSA form each year
- Access your federal financial aid information
- Electronically sign Federal Student Aid documents
You can create a StudentAid.Gov Account at studentaid.gov:
- Provide your Social Security number, full name, and date of birth
- Create a username and password
- Complete challenge questions and answers
- Provide your email address or mobile phone number. Be sure to use an email address that you will have access to during your entire time in college!
- Confirm your email address with a secure code
- Review your information and accept the terms and conditions
If your account is locked, you can unlock it using:
- Your verified mobile phone or email
- Your authenticator app
- Your challenge questions. If you use your challenge questions, there is a 30-minute timeout before you can log in again
To be eligible for Federal Student Aid, you must meet all of the following criteria. All students who meet the below criteria are encouraged to apply for aid via the FAFSA:
- be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- have a valid Social Security Number (your legal name must match your Social Security card)
- have earned a high school diploma or GED
- be accepted to a University of Maine degree program
- not be in default on a federal educational loan or owe a refund on a federal grant
- maintain good academic standing (not suspended or dismissed)
- maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
Be sure to list UMaine on the FAFSA (school code 002053) for both Orono and Machias students. Typically, UMaine’s Office of Student Financial Services will have access to your FAFSA data within 2-3 days after you complete the FAFSA.
Your Student Aid Index (SAI) is a formula-based index number ranging from –1500 to 999999, and it is calculated using information that you (and other contributors, if required) provide on the FAFSA form. Your SAI determines the types and amount of aid that you are eligible for.
Your SAI is not:
- a dollar amount of aid you’ll receive,
- what your family is expected to provide, or
- your final financial aid offer.
Types of Aid You May Receive as an Undergraduate Student:
| Grants | Scholarships | Loans | Work Programs |
| Federal Pell Grant Federal Supplemental Grant State of Maine Grant | Merit Scholarships Department Scholarships | Federal Direct Loans | Federal Work-Study |
How Do You Know if You Are Eligible:
If you qualify for any of the above awards they will be a part of your Financial Aid Package. Eligibility is determined based on information received from your FAFSA. You do not need to apply separately for any of the above awards.
Your answers to questions on the FAFSA determine whether you are considered a dependent or independent student.
Dependent students are required to provide parent financial information in order to complete the FAFSA. Independent students are not required to provide parent financial information, but will need to provide their spouse’s financial information, if applicable.
Financial Aid Direct Data Exchange
The Financial Aid Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) is a tool that allows the U.S. Department of Education to import federal tax information from the IRS into the FAFSA. Students and contributors must consent to use FA-DDX in order to submit the FAFSA.
FAFSA Submission Summary
After your FAFSA is submitted and processed, you can access your FAFSA Submission Summary. It includes your estimated eligibility for federal aid, including the Pell grant and loans, your Student Aid Index (SAI), and whether you’ve been selected to provide additional documents (a process called verification).
Click here for more information on the FAFSA Submission Summary.
Your Financial Aid Offer
After your FAFSA has been processed by the Department of Education, UMaine will provide a financial aid offer, which will be sent to the student’s @maine.edu email address and is also available in the MaineStreet student portal under View Financial Aid. Typically, financial aid offers are made available beginning in the late fall (e.g. December 2025 for the 2026-27 academic year), and it takes 1-2 weeks for our office to process a financial aid offer.