University of Southern Maine
USM offers a variety of financial aid programs to help students and their families pay their education costs. For qualified students available funds include work programs, educational loans, and scholarship monies. Approximately 50% of USM's graduate students receive financial assistance from these programs.
Federal Financial Aid - FAFSA
Work-Study (Graduate Aides)
You must apply for Federal Financial Aid and indicate your interest in work-study on the application. Eligibility for work-study funds is determined by USM's Financial Aid Office
Graduate Recruitment Waivers and
Trustee Tuition Scholarships
These waivers are awarded to outstanding students entering graduate school. Nominations are made by faculty members of individual programs. Contact your program about these opportunities during your admissions process.
General USM Scholarships
Graduate Students may not qualify for all scholarships in this listing. Career Services suggests that you submit the general application and they will distribute your application to the organizations that award scholarships to graduate students.
Lunder Scholarships
Lunder Scholarships are available to both new and returning USM graduate students. First preference for the Lunder Scholarship is made for former employees or children of former employees of the Dexter Shoe Company. However any Maine resident is eligible to apply. The award decisions are based on the financial needs of the applicants. Recipients must maintain a GPA of 3.0. The scholarship is a four-year award of $2500 ($1250 per semester) per academic year. Funds are applied directly to the student's bill. Click here for 2008-2009 Application (due April 25, 2008).
Milliken Scholarships
Milliken Scholarships are awarded to new graduate students for the period of two years. The scholarship applies $3000 ($1500 per semester) per academic year to the student's bill. These awards are made from the Office of Graduate Studies to programs on a revolving basis. Inquire directly to your program about the availability of these funds.
Teaching Assistantships
The Office of Graduate Studies recruits qualified graduate students to serve as Core Teaching Assistants in undergraduate classes during the academic year. These Teaching Assistants work with faculty to improve the delivery of large-enrollment undergraduate core courses. A background in the undergraduate discipline is desirable, but an undergraduate major in the specific field is not required.
Teaching Assistants work an average of ten hours per week and are paid $2,250 per semester.
Application Deadline for Fall 2008 is May 20, 2008.
Click here for 2008 TA Information Sheet. 
