BRUNSWICK — The Finance Authority of Maine recently announced that help is available to Maine students and families seeking financial aid for higher education. Throughout the state for two weeks in January, FAME plans to hold 22 In-Person FAFSA Help Sessions where experienced financial aid experts will be on hand to help families complete the application on the spot.

Brunswick area families can meet with FAME financial aid experts on Jan. 21 at Region 10 Technical High School at 6 p.m.

There’s also an event scheduled for Bath area families at the Bath Regional Career & Technical Center on Jan. 23 at 9 a.m.

A complete listing of the 22 dates and locations is available at FAMEmaine.com.

The FAFSA is the federal application that all schools use to determine student eligibility for federal financial aid. The 2016-17 school year form became available on Jan. 1 and can be found at FAFSA.gov.

According to FAME, only about 62 percent of Maine high school seniors completed the FAFSA by May 1 of last year.

“As a result, many students left significant grant money on the table, while others missed out on financial aid completely,” said Martha Johnston, director of education at FAME. “We want to get the word out that every family sending a child off to college, trade or technical school should complete the FAFSA, and we’re here to help them. Significant financial aid does exist and the earlier families apply the more aid they may be able to receive.”

This marks the 12th year FAME has made these In-Person FAFSA Help Sessions available to Mainers. Over the years, FAME has assisted more than 7,500 families through these events.

If families are not able to attend the in-person help sessions, FAME also offers online support at FAMEmaine.com. Families can also call 1-800-228-3734 with questions.

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