Student Resources

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Youth Program

The United States Senate Youth Program is an exciting opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to attend a weeklong educational program in Washington, D.C. as well as receive a one-time $5,000 college scholarship.

Qualified students must demonstrate a deep commitment to civic engagement as well as an academic interest and aptitude for government, history and politics. The chief state school officer in each state makes the final selection of delegates by December 1.

For more information, please go to: www.ussenateyouth.org

Resources 

  • The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) is great resource for Maine students and families looking for advice about how to best plan for the costs associated with their postsecondary education.  All the information provided by FAME is free of charge and is designed to help folks understand the importance of responsible borrowing and access other important financial aid resources.
  • The NextGen College Investing Plan, administered by FAME, is an investment plan offered by the State of Maine to help families afford the costs of higher education. 
  • Maine Education Services (MES) is a non-profit dedicated to increasing access to higher education for Maine students across the state. MES provides important resources and information about college readiness, career preparation, and financial planning for our students and their families so that their college dreams can become a reality. 

  • AFS-USA and other exchange organizations partner to offer full scholarships for youth exchange programs that are funded by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad and Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarships enable American high school students to study abroad for one academic year.

Financial aid for students

Financial Aid for Students
Guides students through the process of locating and applying for financial aid.  Prepared by the Congressional Research Service for the U.S. Senate, updated February 2014.

Getting started

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Student aid and where it comes from

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Basic assistance categories:

  • Financial need-based
    Remember that students and their parents are responsible for paying what they can-- financial aid is a supplement, not a substitute, for family resources.
  • Non need-based
    Factors include academic excellence, ethnic background, or organization membership. Corporations may also offer assistance to employees and children.
Federal Student Aid:
  • Provides nearly 70% of student aid under Loans, Grants and Work/study programs.
  • Available to all need-based applicants; some loans and competitive scholarships for non need-based.
  • Free information from the U.S. Department of Education:
  • Student Aid on the Web
  • Financial Aid Resource Publications
  • Loans are the most common federal aid and must be repaid when you graduate or leave college:
  • Stafford Loans
  • Federal PLUS Loans parental loans, not need-based.
  • Perkins Loans for the most needy undergraduates; through participating schools.
  • Scholarships/grants are mostly need-based and require no repayment:
  • Pell Grants
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
  • "Congressional" scholarships:
  • Named for Member of Congress or other prominent individual (such as Byrd Honors Scholarships, Fulbright
  • Merit-based and highly competitive.
  • Members of Congress do not play a role in selecting recipients.
  • Work study programs allow you to earn money while in school:
  • Federal Work Study Program: college campus jobs
  • USA Jobs: Welcome Students and Recent Graduates: jobs with the federal government
  • For questions not covered by the Department of Education Web site, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.
    • States offer residents a variety of scholarships, loans, and tuition exemptions.

    Colleges and universities provide some 20% of aid, most need-based. Check university Web sites and the institution's financial aid office when you apply for admission.

    Private foundations, corporations, and organizations offer scholarships or grants:
    FastWeb
    Free Scholarship Search
    Grants for Individuals

    Targeted aid for special groups

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    Interested in public service?

    Federal assistance programs seek to encourage people to work in geographic areas or professions where there's a particular need (such as doctors in underserved areas); encourage underrepresented groups to enter a particular profession; and provide aid in exchange for services provided (such as military service).

    Aid for private K-12 education: No direct federal assistance, check with schools themselves:

    Repaying your loans

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    After college, the federal government has ways to help you repay your loans.

    Merete F.Gerli, CRS