Financial aid consists of grants, scholarships, work opportunities, and loans which will help you to meet your college expenses. Grants and scholarships are dollars you do not need to repay. Loans are dollars that either you or your parents borrow and repay. Work opportunities include on and off campus jobs.

How Do I Get Started?

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. The code for the University of Maine at Presque Isle is 002033.

The federal processor must receive your completed FAFSA by April 1st or it will be considered late. Being late does not make you ineligible for aid, but you will get less grant money than others who sent it in by that date. Timing, while not absolutely everything, means an awful lot when it comes to financial aid.

What Happens Next?

The FAFSA will be processed to determine an Expected Family Contribution (EFC). This EFC is the amount that the feds have determined you and/or your family can contribute to your college expenses. You will be sent a Student Aid Report (SAR). Read it carefully, do what it asks you to do, and if you have questions call us.

How Is It Decided How Much I Get?

While we certainly do our best to help (70% of UMPI students receive aid), the primary responsibility for financing your education rests with you and your family. Even given that, almost always only a small percentage of a family's adjusted gross income is considered a resource for education. You also are expected to contribute a portion of your savings or net assets and base year earnings. As you progress toward your degree typically your aid package will include more self help. Your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) is primarily determined by the federal government. Adjustments can be made under unique circumstances such as loss of a job, divorce, or other unfortunate factors that have significantly altered your financial situation. Once everything is considered, your financial need is determined. It is the difference between what it will cost you to attend UMPI and your EFC.

What If I Do Not Have Financial Need?

No need does not mean abandon all hope. There are a number of on and off campus work opportunities, merit scholarships, and Freshmen Honors Fellowships that are not awarded on the basis of need. At the end of their first year, the Freshmen Honors Fellows are eligible to compete for UMPI Undergraduate Assistantships. The latter offer a unique opportunity for students (regardless of financial need) to assist faculty members in their teaching, research, and student organizational advising responsibilities. The Office of Financial Aid also can recommend alternative sources of funding, including Federal PLUS or Federal Direct PLUS and/or unsubsidized Federal Direct or Federal Stafford Loan programs.

What should I keep an eye on?

What you should watch for is not the amount of aid but what it will cost you to attend a college or university. In other words, if University "A" charges $20,000 and offers aid of $12,000 it will cost you more than University "B" which offers $3,000 but whose cost of attendance is only $7,500.

Anything Else?

Yes. If you have any questions at any time, please feel free to call our office at 207-768-9510. Our office has voice mail and typically will return your call within one business day. If you leave a message, please tell us when you are likely to be home. You also can E-mail us at financialaid@.umpi.maine.edu.

Campus at a Glance

Location: Small-town setting; 150 acre campus

Enrollment: 1400 undergraduates

Founded: Public university established in 1903

Accredited by: New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Financial Aid Folks Need help? Interact with us.

Christopher Bell: 768-9511

Jennie Savage: 768-9513

Laurie Boucher: 768-9512

Patti Hale: 768-9510