February 11th, 2009

FARMINGTON, ME (February 11, 2009)--University of Maine at Farmington is
making an additional $250,000 in financial aid available to predominately
in-state students with demonstrated financial need who are applying for the
fall 2009 semester. This increase in student aid, at a time when families
are struggling through the current economic downturn, is part of the
continuing effort by UMF to help college-bound Maine students have
affordable access to a quality education.

"It is during challenging times like these that we must affirm UMF's
dedication to providing our young people with the opportunity to become the
best they can be," said Theodora J. Kalikow, UMF president. "Investing in
our students now is the key to Maine's success in the future."

According to University officials, the new financial aid resource has been
secured through the reallocation of internal funds and will be used to
focus on helping to increase the number of students receiving aid and
maintaining financial aid packages previously awarded. It will also attempt
to meet a greater percentage of students' demonstrated need, assisting in
closing the financial aid gap that is sometimes created when a student's
financial need exceeds the financial aid package they are offered.

Between 70 to 80 percent of UMF students receive some form of financial
assistance, which can include a combination of scholarships, grants,
subsidized and unsubsidized loans and work-study positions. UMF employs 800
students in a typical semester. Of the approximate 2,000 students enrolled
at UMF for the 2007-2008 academic year, 1,414 students received financial
assistance with an average award of $8,719.

Financial aid assistance packages are determined by a formula set by the
federal government upon completion of the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid. It is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. UMF recommends
that students complete the FAFSA by March 1, 2009, for best potential
financial aid award. This information is shared with individual colleges to
determine the expected family contribution and to ensure the equitable
distribution of federal student aid.

In addition to filing the FAFSA, students interested in attending UMF will
need to apply for admission and are encouraged to do so online by visiting
www.farmington.edu/admissions. A $40 fee is required to apply to UMF;
however need-based waivers are available on a case-by-case basis.

More information on UMF

As Maine's public liberal arts college and first public institution of
higher education, the University of Maine at Farmington offers
undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, teacher education, and human
services; and a master of science in education program. With enrollment
limited to just 2,000 students, the University of Maine at Farmington is
the same size as many of New England's most selective private colleges and
offers many of the same advantages--yet at an affordable price. UMF is one
of just 20 colleges and universities across the nation featured in "Student
Success in College: Creating Conditions That Matter," a book that
identifies schools that serve as models of educational effectiveness.UMF is
also a founding member of COPLAC, the Council of Public Liberal Arts
Colleges, which includes 24 public colleges dedicated to the liberal arts
tradition and quality undergraduate education.


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For more information, please contact Bill Geller, UMF vice president for
administration, at 207-778-7271, or geller@maine.edu.