Advising Manual at UMFK

Students wanting to be considered for financial aid will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)* and complete any file requirements as requested by the UMFK Financial Aid Office. (*UMFK's student code is 002041)

In some cases, a review of the FAFSA by the Department of Education reveals additional documentation is required to complete the file such as citizenship documentation. Or, after completing the FAFSA, some students may be selected by the Department of Education for Verification which usually requires additional documents and/or tasks to be completed by the student or their parents. The verification process can take several weeks to complete.

It is recommended that students stay in touch with the Financial Aid Office until their verification process has been completed. It is in the best interest of the students if they resolve file issues before a semester begins rather than at the end of the semester when students are prevented from registering for future semester classes because of an outstanding school balance. 

About the Financial Aid Process

Financial Aid cannot be processed until a student who is selected for Verification completes the verification process.

What to do:

• Students should refer to their MaineStreet “To-Do” list to see what documents/tasks are being requested from them to complete their financial aid file.

Free money offers made to the student, as part of their financial aid package, need to be accepted by the student via MaineStreet Student Services Center, Finances Section under View Financial Aid. Only students with completed files will have financial aid offers.

This applies to:

• Federal, Maine, or UMFK funds only
• and applies to only students with completed files.

If eligible, Direct Loans will be offered to the student, as part of their award package.

What to do:

• if the student is interested in borrowing the loan offer, they will need to accept the loan in MaineStreet and complete the loan application process.
• Again, they can consult the TO DO list to determine if there are any missing documents.

To-Do List:

• Since this is an ongoing process, it is advisable for students to keep an eye on the “To-Do” list all through the semester.
• In order to be considered for Federal Financial Aid, the student needs to provide the admissions office with a final official high school transcript.
• For transfer students, if UMFK accepts at least 60 transfer credits or if the student submits a transcript documenting receipt of an Associate's degree, a high school transcript is not required.
  • If less than 60 credits are transferred into UMFK, then a final high school transcript is required.

Financial Aid Census Day

Is the last day to drop a course with a full refund, typically two weeks after classes begin. This is when students are locked into their enrollment status (full-time, half-time, etc.) for financial aid purposes, which affects the amount of aid they may receive.

What to do:

• Students must be registered for all* of their semester classes (including sessions I and II) by this designated semester date. (Check the academic calendar for details).
  • *All classes include courses at other campuses, directed and independent studies, and any 7-week session class(es) that begin later in the current semester.
• In addition, for courses at other campuses to be eligible for inclusion in enrollment status, the Financial Aid Office must have received an Away Form designating the specific courses and signed by the student’s advisor and the Registrar by the Census Day.
• There is a Financial Aid Date Census date for each semester (typically two weeks after classes begin). 

Away Forms

Students registering for classes at a school other than UMFK are asked to complete the UMFK Away Form.

What happens:

• If it is determined that the Away class can be applied to the student’s UMFK degree program, then the financial aid office may be able to count the student’s Away credits as part of the student’s overall semester enrollment and financial aid may help cover the cost of the Away class.
• More information and the Away Form are available from the Office of the Registrar. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal Regulations limit how long a student can continue to be eligible to receive financial aid.

What this means:

• To be considered for financial aid, a student must be making SAP toward earning their degree.
• If he/she is not progressing according to standard requirements or is exceeding the time-frame limit to complete their degree, financial aid can be suspended.
• A student who has been academically separated is no longer eligible to be in a degree program. Students must be in a degree program to be considered for financial aid.
• All courses taken at UMFK will be used in calculating SAP, including any UMFK courses taken while in high school.
  • Requirements: To meet SAP requirements, three requirements are reviewed and the student must meet all three requirements.

For more information, you can view the SAP Policy available through the campus portal.

Items Financial Aid (usually) Covers and Does Not Cover

• Students may receive financial aid only for coursework required for the degree program in which they are enrolled.
• If a student retakes a class, financial aid will pay for the class the second time. (See Regulation below.)
• If a student has earned enough credits to complete his/her degree, then financial aid will not cover additional classes, unless the student is accepted to and enrolled in a new degree program.
• A transcript evaluation will have to be reviewed to determine how many of the credits, from the student’s first program, will transfer into the new program so that SAP can be calculated for the new program.
• A student who completes the academic requirements for a program but does not yet have the degree is not eligible for further additional federal student aid for that program.
• Students who already have earned a Bachelor’s degree can only be considered for Federal Direct loans, assuming they remain eligible.

Regulation Regarding Retaking Coursework

Eligibility and enrollment status for retaking coursework

• 34 CFR 668.2(b) the regulatory definition for a full-time student (for undergraduates) has been revised to allow a student, in a term-based program only, to retake any previously passed course (one time only per previously passed course).
• For this purpose, passing means any grade higher than an “F,” regardless of any school or program policy requiring a higher qualitative grade or measure to have been considered to have passed the course.
• This retaken class may be counted toward a student’s enrollment status, and the student may be awarded Title IV aid for the enrollment status based on the inclusion of the class.
• Normal SAP policy allows for a student to receive Title IV funds for retaking a course they failed, and if a student withdraws before completing the course that they are being paid Title IV funds for retaking, that is not counted as their one allowed retake for that course.
• However, if a student passes a class once, then is repaid for retaking it, and fails the second time, that failure counts as their paid retake and the student may not be paid for retaking the class a third time.

Regulation Regarding Remedial Coursework

Remedial coursework prepares a student for study at the postsecondary level (as opposed to preparatory coursework, which prepares a student for a given program).

What this means:

• A student enrolled solely in a remedial program is not considered to be in an eligible program.
• If accepted into an eligible program is contingent on completing remedial work, a student cannot be considered enrolled in that program until she completes the remedial work.
• However, if the student is admitted into an eligible program and takes remedial coursework within that program, he can be considered a regular student even if he is taking all remedial courses before taking any regular courses.

Things to know about Direct Federal Student Loans

If a student wishes to accept a Direct Loan, as part of the application process, they must:

• Inform us they want the loan by accepting the loan amount they want in their MaineStreet Student Center, under the Finance section.
• Complete the following online at the Federal Student Aid website: 
  • Entrance Counseling Session
  • Master Promissory Note (MPN) 

The loan application process must be completed successfully before a loan request can be considered.

Loan Processing Time Requirement:

• Direct Loans could take 2 – 3 weeks to process.
• Students wanting a loan should complete the loan application process about one (1) month prior to the first day of class for the semester.
• Late loan applicants - must complete the loan application process at least 3 weeks prior to the last day of semester classes ending.

Fall Only Enrollment and Loans:

A student applying late for a fall semester Direct loan and not returning for the Spring semester will not be able to have Direct loan funds posted to his/her student account unless the loan was originated before the last day of enrollment for the fall semester. For this to happen, the student must have accepted the loan and completed the required Entrance Counseling and Promissory Note at least 3 weeks prior to the last day of semester classes.

Other Loan Options:

The Parent PLUS Loan- This is a federally funded loan that allows parents (of dependent students), with good credit histories, to borrow funds on behalf of their student to help pay for their child’s educational expenses.

The Alternative Loan- is a private student loan through a bank or credit union. The student would be the borrower of the loan. If the student does not have credit established, a co-signer may be required. If the student has a remaining school bill after all federal aid has been exhausted/applied, including school loan offers, the student may want to consider an Alternative loan.

For more information about loans, see: Student and Education Loans

Bengal Academic Scholarships

The University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) Athletics offers a number of merit-based scholarships for qualifying first-year and transfer students enrolled in on-campus degree programs.

• A separate application is not required to qualify.
• Simply complete your admissions application and you will automatically be reviewed for eligibility when the Admissions Committee makes a decision on your application.
• UMFK strongly encourages students who are eligible for U.S. Federal financial aid to apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 
• Bengal Academic Scholarships require students to maintain a specific GPA and sometimes also living on campus.

The three basic types of scholarship posted on our website are:

(UMFK) scholarships

These scholarships are administered by UMFK through a variety of monies made available to UMFK, such as through endowments and donations, etc. These funds are used to assist UMFK students with their college expenses. If funds are awarded, the student will be informed.

University of Maine System (UMS) scholarships (UMFK is one of seven campuses within the University of Maine System (UMS) campuses.)

• Some (limited) scholarship funding is available to eligible UMFK students.
• You can list many UMS scholarship names on one UMS application.
• Return the completed application to the UMFK Business Office or the UMFK Financial Aid Office by the date indicated.
• If funds are awarded, the student will be informed.

Outside Scholarships

These scholarships are from agencies and institutions other than UMFK. The application process will vary with each scholarship. Read the information provided carefully. The student is responsible for completing the necessary application process. For more information contact the resources that are made available online.

See UMFK Financial Aid's Scholarships and Grants site  for more information on Eligibility requirements, scholarship resources, and scholarship database.