Administered by FAME, the Maine State Grant Program provides need-based grants to Maine undergraduate students of all ages.
Your completed FAFSA is your Maine State Grant application
File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by May 1 and you’ll automatically be considered for the $2,500 grant.
What You Need to Know About the Program
For the 2025-26 academic year, the maximum grant amount for the Maine State Grant Program is $2,500. You must file the FAFSA each year you plan to attend college.
Students enrolled less than full-time, but at least half-time may be eligible for up to $1,250 in the 2025-26 academic year.
Who Is Eligible?
You must be enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school in a program leading to an initial undergraduate certificate, associate, or bachelor’s degree.
Eligible schools include all Maine public and private universities, colleges, and technical schools that administer federal financial aid (e.g., Pell Grant, Direct Loans).1
Maine residents attending a school outside of the state of Maine are not eligible for the Maine State Grant, with the following possible exception – students enrolled in NEBHE’s Tuition Break Program, the New England Regional Student Program, may qualify for a grant. Contact FAME or your financial aid office for more information.
Because this is a need-based grant, your Student Aid Index (SAI) must not exceed the maximum SAI set in a given year. The maximum SAI for the 2025-26 academic year is 8,000.2
How Do I Apply?
File the 2025-26 FAFSA by May 1, 2025. No other forms are required. If you file your FAFSA and meet the eligibility criteria, you will automatically be considered for a grant.
How Are Students Selected?
The school you attend will review your enrollment status and SAI to determine if you are eligible for the grant. The grant award may be part of your financial aid offer.
How Is the Grant Paid?
Grant funds are paid directly to the college or university for credit to your student account.
Is the Award Renewable?
You must file the FAFSA each year you plan to attend college to be considered for an award. The school you attend will determine if you are eligible each year.
1The Governor has proposed making the Maine State Grant only available to students attending Maine public colleges and universities effective with the 2025-26 award year. Program criteria will not be finalized until the biennial budget is enacted this spring.
2The maximum SAI is based upon available funding and may be adjusted at any time.
The Maine State Grant Program is governed by Maine law as set forth in 20-A M.R.S.A. §11611 et seq. and Chapter 601 of the Rules of the Finance Authority of Maine.
