Grants:

To determine if you are eligible for federal and/or state grants to attend Northern Maine Community College you are required to correctly fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA). You will also need to complete NMCC’s financial aid application.

A grant is "free" money given to the student to help pay for educational expenses. Need-based grants are determined based on the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. There are basically two categories of grants: federal and state.

Federal Grants include the Pell Grant and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). State Grants are available to students who are Maine residents and their FAFSA has been processed by May 1.

Again, to determine if you are eligible for any of these grants you must fill out the FAFSA. Grants are available on a limited basis, so apply early!

Loans:

The Federal Stafford and Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) loans are most often used. A Federal Stafford Loan is a student loan that may be subsidized or unsubsidized depending on your financial need.

The federal government makes the interest payments for the student while the student is enrolled in college on a Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan. The Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, on the otherhand, requires the student to either make interest payments or capitalize interest payments while enrolled in school. A Federal PLUS Loan is made to parent(s) of an undergraduate student.

Scholarships:

For NMCC’s institutional scholarships, see the on-line forms or check with the financial aid office.

Private foundations, civic organizations, and others provide additional scholarships. In our experience, most students receive these outside scholarships from organizations within their home community. For this reason, we encourage you to check with your high school, local civic organizations and religious institutions to see what scholarships are available. You may also want to perform a Scholarship Search using fastWeb, a free scholarship search database.

Employment:

At Northern Maine Community College, we offer the Federal Work-Study Program for students who would like to work while enrolled in school. To inquire about on-campus work-study, contact the financial aid office.