SFS FAQs

FAQs

The Office of Student Financial Services is your resource for financial aid guidance, billing questions, payment arrangements, and student employment opportunities.

The University of Maine provides online electronic bills only. Email notifications will be sent to the student and their TouchNet authorized user(s) each time a new statement is posted online. If you need to view or print a copy of your initial semester bill or a subsequent statement, please see How to View/Print Your Student Bill

Fall billing statements will be available beginning mid-July, and will be due August 15th for undergraduates and September 15th for graduate students.
Spring billing statements will be available beginning mid-December, and will be due January 15th for undergraduates and February 15th for graduate students.
Summer billing statements will be available mid-April, and will be due May 15th.

After the initial semester bill is created, you will be sent periodic updates regarding your financial status via email to your @maine.edu address. The email will provide you with a link to the MaineStreet portal and will also contain instructions on how to pay any balance due or receive a credit refund. To view your student account details, please log into the MaineStreet portal: click the Student Self-Service link, click the Student Center link, and then under the Finances section, click on the View My Bill link.

Online payments (electronic check or credit card) can be made through your MaineStreet Student Center by accessing TouchNet’s Bill + Payment Suite. Instructions on making an online payment. By accessing TouchNet’s Bill + Payment Suite you also can view your current account balance and account activity, view your initial bill, and authorize parents, family members, and others to make payments on your behalf. To access TouchNet’s Bill+Payment Suite through MaineStreet, click on the View My Bill link under the finances section on your Student Center. This will take you to your account summary page. On the account summary page, click on the green “View Bill/Payment Options” button. On the next page, click on the yellow Access TouchNet Bill+Payment button. Instructions on authorizing other(s) to have access to your account and make a payment on your behalf.

In addition to tuition and fees the following charges may appear on your student bill: room and board, library fines, parking tickets, UMaine health insurance and other miscellaneous charges.

Health insurance is mandatory for international students and graduate assistants. It is voluntary for all other students. All eligible University of Maine international and graduate assistant students attending in the Fall and/or Spring semesters will be charged a health insurance fee and are required to provide proof of adequate health insurance in order to waive the fee.
Eligible students for the voluntary program are:
Undergraduate students enrolled in 9 credits or more
Graduate students enrolled in 6 credits or more
Click here to see health insurance options available at the University of Maine.

If there are funds that have not yet been applied to your bill, you must enter information about those funds on the Anticipated Resources page in Self Service on MaineStreet before the due date. How to enter your Anticipated Resources.
Examples of information that might be entered in this area because the funds are not yet showing on your bill include: tuition waivers, graduate assistantships, or payments that are being made by your employer or another agency. Charges that will be covered by the Anticipated Resources will be deferred but only if the anticipated funds are listed in Anticipated Resources. Please pay any remaining portion of the bill that will not be covered by funds listed in Anticipated Resources by the due date on the bill. Failure to provide this information and pay any remaining balance will result in a $50.00 monthly late payment fee.

Refunds of excess financial aid for the Fall or Spring semester will be available beginning the week before classes start.

Refunds of excess financial aid for Summer semester will be available once your first Summer class has begun, if it is appropriate for that excess financial aid to be refunded to you.

The fastest way to receive your refund is by direct deposit. Sign up for direct deposit.

If you have not asked to have your credit balance held on your account or signed up for direct deposit, a refund check will be mailed to the address we have on file. Refund checks are not available for pick-up in the office of Student Business Services.

On the Student Authorization page you are given the opportunity to make two very important choices:

Grant permission for your Federal Financial Aid to pay all the charges on your account. We must have your permission if you would like us to apply your Federal Financial Aid to any charges other than tuition, fees, and room & board within the same aid year. Granting permission can make your account easier to manage.
Authorize us to hold a credit balance on your account for future charges. Financial aid resulting in a credit balance on your account will be automatically refunded to you unless you request that it be held to apply to future charges.

How to complete your Student Authorization page in MaineStreet.

For questions related to the repayment of Federal Perkins, Nursing, and University Loans from any University of Maine System campus, please contact the Loan Processing and Receivables Management Office at the Shared Processing Center. Repayment issues include exit interviews, repayment schedules, alternate payment arrangements, deferment and cancellation forms, and default holds on student records. Students wishing to have Perkins Master Promissory Notes reprinted may contact the Loan Processing and Receivables Management Office, PO Box 412, Bangor, ME 04402-0412, or by phone at 207.581.5474 or 800.308.6148. or loanprocessing@maine.edu

Please note that the Loan Processing and Receivables Management Office does not process Stafford, Alternative or Parent Plus Loans. Questions for those loans should be directed to the Office of Student Financial Aid located in Wingate Hall, 207.581.1324.

Financial Aid

Applying for Financial Aid

The University of Maine only requires one Financial Aid application for both undergraduate and graduate students: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The FAFSA is a federal form which determines a student’s eligibility for Federal aid. Based on the information provided, dependency status will be determined as well as the Expected Family contribution. Both of these items will be used to determine aid eligibility.

Students, parents, and loan borrowers are required to use a StudentAid.gov Account, made up of a username and password, to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites. You can create an account at studentaid.gov, and you will use your StudentAid.gov Account to complete the FAFSA each year and to monitor any federal student loan repayment during and after your time at UMaine.

Dependency status is determined by the Federal Processing Center based on information provided on the FAFSA. Financial Aid dependency is different than being claimed as a dependent on a tax return. More information on dependency status for the FAFSA is available here.

The U.S. Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have collaborated to develop a tool that simplifies the completion of the FAFSA application. The IRS Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) allows FAFSA Contributors (students and parents) to request and retrieve their tax data directly from the IRS. Once this data is retrieved from the IRS, it is transferred to the FAFSA application. For more information on the IRS Direct Data Exchange, click here.

The FAFSA uses your family’s tax return data from two years ago (e.g. 2024 taxes are used for the 2026-27 academic year’s FAFSA). If your family has not yet filed taxes for the specified tax year or if your family’s financial circumstances have significantly changed since filing taxes, reach out to SFS.

The FAFSA Submission Summary summarizes an estimate of your financial aid eligibility, which you can access at studentaid.gov within 1-3 days of completing your FAFSA. Only students– not parents or spouses– can access the FAFSA Submission Summary. The FAFSA Submission Summary is not the same as your UMaine Financial Aid Offer, which is typically available via your @maine.edu email address and in MaineStreet within a few weeks of completing your FAFSA. More information is available here.

The information you reported on your FAFSA is used to calculate your Student Aid Index, or SAI. The SAI is used to determine your federal student aid eligibility and financial aid award. Click here for more information on the Student Aid Index.

If you have changes to make to the FAFSA, including if you made a mistake or if you want to add UMaine to your list of schools who receive your FAFSA, you will need to make corrections to your FAFSA. UMaine does not automatically review corrections to your FAFSA, so please notify SFS if you make any changes. For instructions on making a correction to your FAFSA, click here.

In order to comply with Federal regulations we may ask you to provide information that verifies the data you provided on your FAFSA. Any requests for additional documentation will be listed on your To Do List in MaineStreet.

The Financial Aid Award

Your financial aid award is unique to you. Many things may impact your financial aid eligibility, including: your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), Residency, number of classes you take each semester, your housing plans, Grade level, dependency status, and the number of credits you have earned toward your degree.

All students are notified via their @maine.edu email address of their financial aid offer. Additionally, students can review their financial aid under View Financial Aid in MaineStreet.

As an undergraduate student you may receive an offer for the following aid in your award package: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Grant, University of Maine merit scholarships, State of Maine Grant, and/or Federal Work-Study. If you qualify for any of these awards, they will be a part of your Financial Aid Package.

As a graduate student you may receive up to $20,500 in a Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan.

Certain aid (scholarships, grants, assistantships, etc.) are automatically listed as accepted on your MaineStreet account. If you wish to receive any other type of aid such as loans, you must accept them on MaineStreet. First-time loan borrowers must also complete their MPN and Loan Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov.

There may be additional steps to take in order to receive certain types of aid:
Federal Loans – First-time borrowers are required to complete a Loan Agreement/Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling before receiving the loan funds.
Federal Work-Study – You will need to find a job before being able to earn your Federal Work-Study funds.

Your award may change based on the following circumstances:

Corrections or updates to your FAFSA
Changes in your housing plans
Changes in your residency status
Changes in enrollment level each semester
Changes in your (or your family’s) financial circumstances
Receipt of additional assistance and/or scholarships
Receipt of additional information affecting eligibility
Discontinued attendance in classes
Withdrawal from all classes

Any time your award changes, you will be notified by e-mail and you will be able to see the changes on your MaineStreet account.
Students are encouraged to notify our office as soon as any of the above circumstances occur.

Scholarships

Students are required to report any and all additional resources to the financial aid office. This includes any outside scholarships you may be receiving.

If you are an incoming first-year at UMaine, we recommend you check with your high school’s guidance office. They often have a listing of local outside scholarships that you can apply for. All students can check with any local clubs or organizations they are a part of. Also, check your with your employer (or your parent(s) employer) to see if they have any scholarship opportunities.
Both internal and outside scholarships are available via Scholarship Universe. Remember, wherever you are searching for scholarships, NEVER pay to search or apply for scholarships!

Loans

Based on eligibility students may see Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Federal Direct Unsubsidized loans in their financial aid award. These types of federal loans are loans in the student’s name and are guaranteed federal loans (no credit check or co-signer is required).

If you are awarded a Federal Direct Loan, and you are a first-time borrower, you will be required to complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN). For instructions on how to complete the MPN, click here.

Students who are first-time borrowers of Subsidized or Unsubsidized Federal Direct loans must complete entrance counseling before any funds can be disbursed. Click here for instructions on how to complete Entrance Counseling.

Federal Direct Loans have a 6-month grace period, which means you do not have to begin repayment until 6 months after you graduate or are no longer enrolled at least 1/2 time in college.
In addition to the grace period, Federal Direct loans are deferred (payment is not required) while you are enrolled at least half-time.
Interest that accrues on Unsubsidized Direct Loans is also deferred while you are enrolled; however, there are options available if you would like to make payments on the interest while you are in school

Additional Resources

Federal Direct PLUS Loans allow graduate students and parents of dependent undergraduate students to borrow up to the annual cost of education minus any financial aid. If a parent is denied a Parent Direct PLUS Loan based on credit, the student may be eligible for additional Direct Unsubsidized Loans.
Alternative Loans from private lenders are mostly credit-based loans and most will require periodic payments of principal and interest once disbursed. Interest rates vary, and a separate application is usually sent directly to the lender, which is then forwarded to our office for certification of the student’s status.

UMaine offers an installment tuition payment plan through TouchNet.

The Office of Student Employment offers services to students who want to work while they attend school.

The Federal Work-Study Program provides students with the opportunity to work part-time and earn a bi-weekly paycheck. Funds earned can be used to help pay education expenses. Work-study funds are not applied directly to the student’s bill.

Maintaining Eligibility

Federal financial aid regulations require financial aid recipients to make progress toward earning their degree, stay above specific GPA minimums and to complete the degree within a maximum time-frame. You can lose eligibility for aid if you are not doing well in your classes and/or if it is taking a very long time to earn your degree.

Your financial aid is determined by how many credits you are enrolled in. If you are planning on dropping a course, please check with the Financial Aid Office to determine how your financial aid will be impacted.

If you withdraw from all courses during a semester, the Financial Aid Office will perform calculations to determine what adjustments must be made to your financial aid. You should contact your Dean’s office to initiate the process of withdrawing from the University.

Federal regulations allow students to receive financial aid funds for one repetition of a previously passed course.

The Bill

The bill is calculated as your charges minus your aid. Your charges are considered direct costs and include:

Tuition
Fees
Housing (on-campus)
Meal Plan (on-campus)

If you have a negative balance on your bill, you have more financial aid than what your charges are and you may be eligible for a refund. Refunds can be mailed as physical checks to your mailing address, direct deposited into your bank account, or held on your account for future charges.

When you have outside aid that is not listed on your award, you need to notify SFS in order to avoid receiving late fees.

Student Employees

Go to our page ‘Finding a Student Job’. From here, you will find information on contacting departments, logging into our job search website, and more!

Federal Work-Study is part of your financial aid package. It is awarded based on your FAFSA.

To be considered for federal work-study, your FAFSA must be submitted by the March 1^st deadline. If you are late to file – You will not be considered no matter your financial need. Federal Work-Study is awarded based on your financial need as reported in your FAFSA.

Federal Work Study eligibility is based on your FAFSA, and SFS may be able to review your eligibility even if you were not automatically offered it.

Students are paid bi-weekly in a paycheck that is direct deposited into your bank account.

Work-study cannot be applied directly to your bill. As you accumulate hours you will earn a bi-weekly paycheck that is direct deposited into your bank account.

Yes! We post both federal work-study positions, as well as non work-study positions in CareerLink (See How do I find job?). We always suggest that students without federal work-study contact the dining halls, as they hire a lot of students on campus. In addition to checking CareerLink and talking with dining, students should contact any departments they are interested in working for. Not all employers post their available positions with us. It is important to be as proactive as possible about finding a job!

No, you are responsible for finding your own work-study position

Your employer will submit an authorization form to our office. These authorization forms are filled out every time you get a new job – OR if you are staying in the same position through summer, or the next academic year. Next, you will need to complete an I9. An exception to completing an I-9 is if you have done so already and have gotten paid within the last 12 months from the University.
YOU MUST HAVE TWO valid forms of identification to complete the I-9. We accept a passport as both forms. If you do not have a passport we will accept a photo id (e.g., driver’s license, Mainecard, etc.) BUT IN ADDITION you must also have either your birth certificate or social security card. We DO NOT ACCEPT any copies, faxes, or expired documents. Here is a list of I-9 Acceptable Documentation!

You will need to get the appropriate forms of identification to present to us. If you can’t travel home to get them – we suggest using a photo id (Mainecard, etc.) and having your birth certificate sent in a certified or insured mailing.

Once all paperwork has been processed by both the Office of Student Employment and Payroll, you will be able to log your hours into MaineStreet.

In your MaineStreet menu – select Employee Self-Service. (If this option is not there, your paperwork has not been processed or there is a problem with your paperwork – in which case you would have been contacted).
From the Employee Self-Service menu – select Report Time, then Time Sheet. You will be able to post current hours being worked, as well as hours for previous and next time periods here.
This guide may be able to help you further!

Were you able to enter your hours in MaineStreet?

o Yes – It’s possible that the hours were not entered/approved in time for the payroll deadline. You should contact your supervisor.

o No – It’s possible there is a problem with your paperwork, or it has not been processed yet.

Checks are direct deposited into the bank account you provided on your employee self-service tab. If you have not yet signed up for direct deposit then it is possible that it has been issued as a live check and sent to your mailing address listed on MaineStreet.

Most employers are not able to pay students from their own budget. This means that when you have earned all of your work-study award, your employment will be terminated. If the employer has the funding to pay you from their own budget they may choose to keep you on and continue paying you. If your employment in the work-study position is terminated, you may find a non work-study job for the remainder of the academic year.

No. You may earn all your work study in the fall if you would like, or in the spring. If you choose not to earn your work-study until the spring semester – you MUST watch for communications from our office to your University of Maine System email. If you do not notify us that you will be using your work-study it will be taken away and we will not be able to reinstate the award.

You may keep your work-study and continue looking. You MUST notify us that you intend to use it, or the award will be taken away. We will notify you of this through your University of Maine System email. You will not be negatively affected the following year if you do not use your work-study award. You have the ability to cancel any part of, or all of your award with financial aid if you choose. The award will not be reinstated if you choose to do this.

There are separate work-awards in the summer. They are awarded based on your FAFSA status for the previous academic year. Students must apply for these separately through the Office of Student Employment in the Spring semester; when the form is available, it will be posted on our ‘For Students’ page under Summer Federal Work Study Application.

Students can work up to 30 hours a week during the academic year. Over breaks (breaks that consist of more than 5 consecutive days), students may work up to 40 hours. International students can work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session, they can work up to 40 hours during official school breaks.

Yes! You may have as many positions as you would like – However, the hours you are able to work in a week remain the same. No matter how many jobs you have, students who are U.S. citizens are only allowed to work 30 total hours during a typical academic week. 40 hours are permitted during breaks consisting of 5 full class days off (e.g., Winter Break). If you are an international student, federal regulation allows you to work 20 hours, maximum, during the academic week and up to 40 hours a week during school breaks.

Because students are not to exceed 30 hours during a typical academic week, you would not ever be paid overtime. If you have received special permission to exceed 40 hours during a vacation week – overtime would be paid to you by your employer. This does happen at times during summer employment.

campus Employers

Have more questions? Please visit this page to view Payroll’s ‘Frequently Asked Payroll Questions’ webpage.

Please review our page titled Roles & Responsibilities for details on each role!

While it is recommended that students only work 20 hours per week (during the academic year), departments may allow their students to work up to 30 hours per week. International students may only work 20 hours/academic week due to federal regulations. All may work up to 40 hours per week in the summer. More details can be found on our page ‘Work Hour Limits‘.

The Student Employment Authorization Form must be filled out via e-Hire by the payroll processor. For more information on how to complete an e-Authorization please visit this page here.
If the student has not worked on-campus during the past 12 months, they must complete additional employment paperwork (I9) at the Office of Student Employment in Wingate Hall. Once their e-Authorization has been processed by payroll then they will obtain access to Employee self-service. This is where they will complete the first portion of the I-9 electronically under the ‘Personal Details’ Tile. Once the first portion is completed, the student then comes to our office with their required documents so that our office can verify and complete the second portion of the I-9.

The account numbers we ask for on the Student Authorization Form correspond to the accounts used to pay students. The way the system is currently configured, we need both the MaineStreet numbers (Chartfield Combination), the 10-digit Department Accounting ID (the old FAST number) and the Dynamic Group in order to pay your students appropriately. This information can typically be provided by a Payroll Processor or Administrator for your department.

A student’s pay rate is determined by their Job Title and experience. Using the Job Classification List, choose the appropriate Job Title and the corresponding Pay Level. You will then refer to the Student Pay Scale to determine the pay rate. A newly hired student would likely begin at Level 1, Undergrad or Grad level pay. At the employer’s discretion, a student may begin working at a greater pay rate if the student has prior work experience or more qualifications for the Job Title. Any pay rates outside the provided levels will be sent back to you by our office. For permission for pay outside of the given scale, please email Mary Mahoney-O’Neil (maryellen.mahoneyoneil@maine.edu) and CC our office (student.employ@Maine.edu).

If you have a job you’d like to post and you are entered in CareerLink as an Employer, you should have a Username and Password. You may Log-In from the Online Job Search tab under Employer Log-In. If you are not sure if you are in the system or would like to be added to CareerLink to be able to post jobs, please review the steps provided on this page.

If you are still having trouble with Careerlink after you review this page for answers, please call the Office of Student Employment at (207) 581-1349 or email us at student.employ@maine.edu.

Students who receive Federal Work-Study funds can view their award on MaineStreet under the “Financial Aid Award” tab. You can have the student print this screen and provide this to you as proof of their Work-Study award. Additionally, if you have hired a student already, check your earnings report to see if the student has Federal Work-Study and how much of it they’ve already earned. You can only view the award in this manner if the student has already begun working for you.

Please complete an e-Change via e-Hire which allows you to alter information for a pre-existing job for a student employee.