Maine Veterans Dependents Educational Benefits

About this scholarship

Maine Veterans Dependents Educational Benefits provides a 100% waiver of tuition and mandatory fees for eligible spouses and dependent children of qualifying veterans. The benefit can be used at institutions in the University of Maine System, Maine Community College System, and Maine Maritime Academy. A qualifying veteran must have a 100% permanent and total service-connected disability, have been killed in action, have died from a service-connected disability, have been permanently and totally disabled at death, or have been missing in action, captured, or forcibly detained for more than 90 days while on active duty. The veteran must have entered military service from Maine or have been a Maine resident for the five years immediately before the application and, if living, remain a resident while benefits are used. Spouses may pursue eligible certificate, associate, bachelor’s, or master’s programs; children may use the waiver for associate or bachelor’s degrees. A dependent child generally must enter a degree program before age 22, with an extension to age 26 when military service prevented timely enrollment. Students must apply for a Federal Pell Grant and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA. The live state form requests the veteran’s service and residency information, the student’s school and relationship information, and uploads including a birth or marriage certificate, permanent-and-total disability verification when applicable, current residency proof, DD214 when applicable, and a school enrollment letter.

Eligibility

• Be the spouse, child, stepchild, or adopted child of a veteran who meets one of the program’s qualifying service-connected disability, death, captivity, or missing-in-action conditions
• Have a qualifying veteran who entered service from Maine or who has lived in Maine for the 5 years immediately before application and remains a resident while benefits are used if living
• Attend the University of Maine System, a Maine Community College, or Maine Maritime Academy in an eligible program
• If applying as a child, enter an associate or bachelor’s degree program before age 22, or before age 26 when U.S. military service prevented earlier enrollment
• If applying as a spouse, pursue an eligible certificate, associate, bachelor’s, or master’s program
• Apply for a Federal Pell Grant and authorize the school to verify the FAFSA application
• Maintain at least a 2.0 or C grade-point average to continue receiving the benefit
• Submit the live state application with relationship, residency, enrollment, and applicable military or disability documentation