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AUGUSTA — The Finance Authority of Maine announced that help is available to Maine students and families seeking financial aid for higher education. FAME will 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. Lewiston-area families can meet with FAME financial aid experts at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center.

The FAFSA is the federal application that all schools use to determine student eligibility for federal financial aid. The 2016-2017 school year form becomes available on Jan. 1 and can be found at FAFSA.gov.

Families attending the sessions should bring the following information to the help sessions:

• FSA ID — this user name and password is needed to access all federal student aid websites, including the FAFSA. It is recommended that the student and one parent create it ahead of time at fsaid.ed.gov.;

• Social Security numbers for student and parents;

• Information to estimate student and parents 2015 income, such as W-2 forms or last year’s federal income tax returns, and other records of money earned;

• Current bank statements for student and parents;

Completing the FAFSA as early as possible is one of the best ways to minimize student loan borrowing. Many students fail to complete the FAFSA, or submit it after critical deadlines. For example, some colleges have financial aid deadlines in February and March, and the FAFSA is used by FAME to award the Maine State Grant for all applicants who apply by May 1. These students miss out on potential grants and end up borrowing more than they would have needed to.

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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