Financial Aid for Veterans and their Families

There are other sources of financial aid for veterans and their dependents, besides U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational benefits.To learn more about VA educational benefits, please click here.

Federal Aid

One great example is federal aid -- those accessing VA educational benefits are encouraged to fill out a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), as your VA educational benefits are not factored in when reviewing your income. To access the FAFSA, please click here.

To learn more about the USM Financial Aid Office, please click here.

Tuition Assistance

For those currently drilling in the Guard or Reserves, there may be Tuition Assistance (TA) available that you can use along with your VA educational benefits. Please contact the education liaison at your unit or squadron for more information on applying for TA. Funds received for TA are considered when applying for federal aid.

Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)

For those interested in being a commissioned officer, USM participates in ROTC, which also provides scholarships. For more on ROTC, please click here.

Outside Scholarships

There are also outside scholarships specifically for veterans and their families. 

For a list of possible scholarships geared toward veterans and their families, please click here.
To learn more about the Pat Tillman Scholarship Initiative, please click here.

Other outside scholarships can be found at the following websites. Please click on the title to access the website:

• College Board
• Fame  (Finance Authority of Maine)
• Fast Aid
• Fast Web
• Mapping Your Future
• National Military Family Association
• Scholarships
• The Old School

Please note that some outside scholarships may affect your VA or federal financial aid benefits. Please contact the USM Financial Aid office for more information on your financial aid package, if applicable.

If you are receiving an outside scholarship and you are a Chapter 33, Post 9/11 GI Bill recipient, please contact the School Certifying Official (SCO) to see if the scholarship will affect your GI Bill benefits.