You’re on the right track! We’ve got your back!

 

When you’re planning for college, the financial part of things can be tricky, especially if this is the first time you’ve had to deal with money. Lucky for you, UMF has a whole program dedicated to making it easier and helping you with whatever you need! The following are some of the things you can look forward to as a UMF Beaver:

 

One-on-One Sessions

At UMF, we offer one-on-one sessions with Peer Educators to help you navigate this part of your journey. Peer Educators are students just like you who have been trained in all things money so they can either answer your questions, or help you find the answer. Once you have been accepted, you receive access to their calendar where you can plug yourself in whatever open time slot works for you and get personalized care.

 

Scholarship Search Support

The best kind of money to pay for college is the kind you don’t have to pay back. We help students find the scholarships and grants that fit their particular circumstances. Some of the things we look at are interests, hometown, chosen major, heritage, special talents/abilities, etc.

There are so many scholarships out there waiting for applicants. We help you make sure there is no money left on the table! If you’d help you finding resources for your freshman year, reach out!

FAFSA Filing

The FAFSA is where financial aid begins!  In order to file, you need your tax income from two years prior (e.g. the FAFSA for the 2023-24 year uses info from 2021 taxes). You also need to create an FSA ID. This username and password are the way the federal government identifies you and keeps your information safe. You and a parent must both create one.

You can create your FSA ID now! Go to studentaid.gov and create an account. Log the info somewhere you can find it easily!

Workshops

Monthly interactive workshops deliver engaging activities focused on a wide variety of money-related topics so that participants leave feeling more confident, capable, and financially savvy than when they arrived.

 

Online Financial Literacy Tools

The University of Maine System has partnered with the Finance Authority of Maine to bring all students free access to an extensive library of videos, interactive tools, articles, and even courses designed to answer all of your money-related questions.

Financial Aid Counselors

Sometimes, what a student needs relates to changes or adjustments in their financial aid package or special circumstances that can only be handled by a financial aid counselor. Here at UMF, the Peer Educators work closely with the Financial Aid Office, so when we bring you over to get your needs met, we are handing you to a friend who will do their very best to meet your needs.