Maine Tuition Waiver Program (Foster Care)

Maine waives tuition at the University of Maine System, the Maine community colleges and Maine Maritime Academy for students who, when they finish high school or a HiSET/GED, are in Maine foster care, were adopted from Maine foster care with a DHHS subsidy, or are minor wards of a permanency guardian receiving a DHHS subsidy. The award is the actual tuition waived, renewable for up to five years of full-time study. FAME accepts applications starting on the first business day of March and selects qualified students first come, first served; the 2027-28 application opens March 1, 2027. Applicants mail the form with a college acceptance letter and the FAFSA filed, and only postmarked applications are accepted.

Other deadlines near this one

• 802 Opportunity Grant
  Due June 30, 2027 · Full tuition and the $100 administrative fee at CCV (last-dollar)
• Alaska Education Grant
  Due June 30, 2027 · $500-$4,000/yr based on need and enrollment level
• Alaska Performance Scholarship
  Due June 30, 2027 · $3,500-$7,000/yr depending on tier

How hard is the Maine Tuition Waiver Program (Foster Care) to win?

This is not a competition, but the funding is rationed: eligible students are routinely turned away once the money runs out, so filing date decides the outcome.

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

• Fewer rivalsOpen only to Maine residents
• Fewer rivalsRequires a specific life circumstance
• More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants

How Solyo estimates this: State programs that allocate by published formula are modelled on qualification and filing, not on competition, because there is no selection committee choosing between applicants. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Maine Tuition Waiver Program (Foster Care)?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

• ✓Must be a resident of Maine
• ✓Must attend a college in Maine (the award does not travel out of state)
• ✓Open to high school seniors and current college students
• ✓For current or former foster youth

What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The next projected deadline is June 30, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual June 30 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Applications open March 1. Have the acceptance letter and FAFSA ready by March 1 and mail the application with a hand-stamped postmark that day.

2027-28 application opens (mail, postmarked)

March 1, 2027

Common questions about the Maine Tuition Waiver Program (Foster Care)

More state grants & programs

• Maine Tuition Waiver Program (Public Servant)
  Full tuition at Maine public colleges · due June 30, 2027
• Mary McLeod Bethune Scholarship
  $3,000 per year · due June 30, 2027
• Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship
  Up to $5,000 per year · due April 1, 2027
• Maryland Delegate Scholarship
  $200 to $14,086 · due March 1, 2027
• Maryland Senatorial Scholarship
  $400 to $14,086 per year · due March 1, 2027
• Maryland Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Recipients
  Full tuition and mandatory fees at Maryland public colleges · due June 30, 2027

Lists this award appears on

• Maine Scholarships and State Grants
• No-Essay Scholarships
• Renewable Scholarships (Multi-Year Awards)
• Scholarships With June Deadlines