$19,865

AVG. MERIT AWARD

(money you don’t pay back)

$2,096

AVG. GRANT PACKAGE

(money you don’t pay back)

$30,047

AVG. FINANCIAL AID
PACKAGE

Here to Help You Grow

Our students come from many different backgrounds and financial circumstances. Our goal is to keep Saint Joseph’s College within reach for every student who qualifies and wants to attend SJC.

By filling out the admissions application, you’ll be considered for:

  • Merit scholarships (available all 4 years) based on GPA
  • Eligibility from $12,000 to $25,000
3 students chat down at the lake

What You Need to Know

About Financial Aid

You must meet the following federal qualifications to be considered for financial aid:

  • U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen status
  • enrollment or acceptance for enrollment in a degree program at an eligible institution
  • no default on a federal student loan or refund required to a federal grant program
  • registration with Selective Service, if required
  • valid Social Security number
  • high school diploma or GED
  • satisfactory academic progress toward a degree

Other factors considered:

  • enrollment status
  • major
  • year in school
  • housing choice

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) & Need:
Cost – EFC = Need

  • You can find the federal EFC (Expected Family Contribution) on the Federal Student Aid Report you get after filing the FAFSA.
  • The federal EFC is not the amount you will pay to Saint Joseph’s College. Your financial aid offer letter will give you an estimate of your bill for the year.
  • We use the federal EFC to determine your federal and state aid. Example: a Maine resident who has an EFC of $5,800 or less (for 2020-21 academic year) will be considered for the Maine State Grant program.

Financial Aid Offer Notification

  • We begin to email financial aid packages to new students in November. (Please contact our office if you need copy of your letter.) We begin to email returning student packages in June.
  • The offer letter will list the types and amounts of aid that you are eligible to receive. This letter will also include our estimate of your share of tuition, fees, and room/board (if you live on campus).
  • The financial aid package is subject to change and no financial aid can be paid until all documents have been received and reviewed and enrollment has been confirmed.
  • You are required to report any scholarships you have received from organizations outside of Saint Joseph’s College to the Office of Financial Aid. If you are the recipient of other grants, scholarships, or benefits, your financial aid offer may need to be adjusted.
  • We will include information about our payment plan and other financing options.
  • Federal, state, and institutional funds are paid each semester.
  • Before we can pay your funds, we must check your enrollment status and eligibility.
  • New borrowers must complete the Federal Direct Loan entrance counseling and promissory note before loan funds can be paid. Both are found at www.StudentLoans.gov, student will login with their FSA ID.
  • If you have a credit on your account, these funds are returned to you (or your parent if it is from a Federal Parent Loan) unless you tell the Office of Student Accounts differently. Read our Credit Balance Policy.
  • Statements are mailed to the student/family throughout the year. Aid that has been packaged but not paid will show as “pending” aid.
  • Federal work-study does not appear on the bill because students are paid by check for the hours worked.

For your actual estimated costs, please use our cost calculators.

2024-2025 Estimated Cost of Attendance (Full-time/Living On Campus)

Tuition and Fees $44,120
Housing and Food $15,384
Books and Supplies $1,200
Transportation $500
Miscellaneous Personal Expenses $1,200
Total Estimated Cost $62,404

(Nursing Students will have an additional charge of $2,640)

2024-2025 Estimated Cost of Attendance (Full-time/Living Off Campus)

Tuition and Fees $44,120
Housing and Food $7,200
Books and Supplies $1,200
Transportation $1,500
Miscellaneous Personal Expenses $1,200
Total Estimated Cost $55,220

(Nursing Students will have an additional charge of $2,640)

2024-2025 Estimated Cost of Attendance (Full-time/Living With Parent)

Tuition and Fees $44,120
Housing and Food $3,000
Books and Supplies $1,200
Transportation $1,500
Miscellaneous Personal Expenses $1,200
Total Estimated Cost $51,020

(Nursing Students will have an additional charge of $2,640)

Professional Judgement is the process of reviewing an individual student's unique circumstances and exercising the option to change the data elements normally applied through the Department of Education Federal Methodology (FM) formula on the FAFSA application that helps compute the SAI (student aid index).  Professional judgment changes are made when the financial aid administrator judges the standards used to determine the SAI are inappropriate for purposes of calculating eligibility for financial aid due to extenuating circumstances.  Normally, it comes as a result of a change in the student and/or family’s income or asset information as reported on the FAFSA.

Changes to FM are done only through individual data element changes and on an individual, case-by-case basis. Substitutions of data elements that result in a changed SAI are thoroughly documented in the student file, recomputed in and generate a valid ISIR through correction in FAA Access to CPS Online.

While maintaining the flexibility to respond to individual student circumstances, the Financial Aid Office also strives for consistency in treatment of students with similar unusual circumstances.  When unusual student cases arise, or students appeal award decisions, they are reviewed by the Financial Aid Director in a committee review.

Saint Joseph’s College uses Department of Education software to re-compute the SAI both for corrections to reported data and for changes resulting when professional judgment is exercised.  Therefore, when changes are made to a student's or parents' analysis of financial need, single data element changes resulting from receipt of corrected, updated, or enhanced information are entered and the revised family contribution is automatically recalculated.  The changed SAI is used for eligibility determination for all programs.  No payment is made on Pell Grant until a valid ISIR is received.

Potential Reasons for Exercise of Professional Judgment

All professional judgment changes apply only to data element changes and apply to all Title IV programs.

A.  Satisfactory Academic Progress

  • Financial Aid Specialists will be granted the use of “professional judgment” when participating on the Financial Aid Appeal Committee. Thus, for financial aid appeals purposes, Financial Aid Specialists on Appeal Committees have the ability to “override” the SAP status and make an SAP ineligible student—eligible for financial aid.
  • The Director of Financial Aid has the ability to “override” the SAP status of a student—based on the student’s appeal.

B.  Change of Dependency Status

  • The ability to change the dependency status is only granted to the Director.
  • Students submitting requests to have their dependency status changed from dependent to independent are required to submit documentation that clearly indicates extenuating circumstances with the students and parental relationship.  Students who were raised by family members other than their parents would also be considered for a dependency over-ride.  Documentation must be verifiable.  Support letters should come from “independent” sources not associated with the student—such as a counselor, teacher, medical professional, social worker, or religious leader.  All documentation needs to have contact information from the individual writing the letter—including their address and phone number(s).

C .  Drop of Income and Income Adjustments

  • The ability to use professional judgment for adjustments of data elements on the ISIR is granted to the Appeals Committee, Director.
  • All income adjustments must be done on a case-by-case basis.
  • All income adjustments must be used to address special circumstances where the data elements on the ISIR—based on income from the base year—no longer reflect the family’s (or student’s) ability to contribute to the student’s education.
  • When making the adjustment, it is appropriate to take into account a changed circumstance that affects the student’s (or family’s) current and near-term economic situation.  A loss of employment or reduction in work hours can be considered.
  • When making the adjustment, projected earnings can be used.
  • Third party documentation of changed circumstances should be used, whenever possible, to document the request for professional judgment. In addition, students (and parents) will need to submit a formal request for an assessment of special circumstances.
  • Adjustments on all “dollar” data elements that affect the SAI are allowed by law, including unemployment.  These adjustments, however, must be documented along with the reason for the use of professional judgment.

Got Questions?

Financial Aid

Office of Financial Aid
800-752-1266
207-893-6612
finaid@sjcme.edu

Billing

Office of Student Accounts
207-893-7732
FAX: 207-893-7678
studentaccounts@sjcme.edu

Loan Deferment

Registrar
207-893-7798
FAX: 207-893-7701
registrar@sjcme.edu

Live + Work in Maine

The State of Maine recognizes the investment you’ve made in your education, and has puts its money where its mouth is – come here to live and work, and the State will reimburse your student loan payments via the Maine Opportunity Tax Credit. The Maine Opportunity Tax Credit reimburses student loan payments for college graduates who live and work in Maine. This tax credit is administered by the Maine Revenue Service.

Why should students be interested in the Live + Work in Maine program?

Career Studio and Financial Aid talk about the program.

Live + Work in Maine logo