College of the Atlantic presidential and deans’ scholarships

These merit-based awards are available for incoming students based on academic achievement and citizenship qualities. The amount of the awards vary. All applicants will be considered for these awards—simply complete your application for admission to COA.

Children of Maine teachers scholarship

Incoming students with a parent who is a full-time college or K-12 teacher in Maine are eligible for this $10,000/year award. To apply, complete this form and include documentation of your parent’s employment at an accredited Maine school in your admission application.

Community college scholarships

Graduates of community college with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and with a transferable Associate’s Degree, are eligible for this $15,000/year award, available for up to two years of study. To apply, complete this form prior to your admission deadline. Dual enrolled high school students are not eligible. 

If you are an alumnx of one of the following programs, you are eligible for a COA scholarship of $10,000/year for up to four years.
To receive any of these scholarships complete this form prior to the admission application deadline.

ACADIA INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY 
CAMP RISING SUN 
MAINE COAST SEMESTER AT CHEWONKI
CONSERVE SCHOOL *
THE ISLAND SCHOOL 
JOURNEY’S END FARM CAMP *
KROKA SEMESTER EXPEDITIONS 
LEAPYEAR
SIERRA STUDENT COALITION SUMMER PROGRAM  OR CLIMATE JUSTICE LEAGUE FELLOWS 
STUDENT CLIMATE & CONSERVATION CONGRESS (SC3)
THE STUDENT CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION (SCA) 
COA ISLANDS THROUGH TIME (previously known as the Summer Field Institute)
WAVUS, KIEVE, AND THE LEADERSHIP SCHOOL 
WHALE CAMP 

*These programs are no longer operating, but we still honor their alumnx through our scholarships.

IMPORTANT:
Students are eligible to receive only one of the above mentioned awards for up to four years, as long as they maintain full-time enrollment and good academic standing. Students must have completed their participation in these programs prior to applying to COA.

Should the college ever decide to reduce the rate of tuition, any of the scholarships mentioned above will be reduced proportionally.

Finding outside scholarships

Free scholarship search services:

www.fastweb.com
www.collegeboard.org

Ask around! 

Consider calling clubs, organizations, or small businesses in your town, city, or county. You may be surprised at how many offer scholarships—you just need to find out whether you meet qualifications. 

COA’s outside scholarship policy

At COA, we have a generous policy in dealing with outside scholarships: 

If a student applies for an outside scholarship and notifies us by July 1 of the award year, we will apply 100% of the amount awarded towards any unmet need. In the event that unmet need is then met and an over-award exists, we will reduce self-help aid (work study and/or loans) before any reductions in institutional aid are made. 

Service members and dependents

College of the Atlantic is certified by the Department of Defense to provide Tuition Assistance (TA) to service members and their dependents/beneficiaries. 

Veterans or their designated transferee may receive additional funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program to help fill the gap between Post-9/11 GI Bill funds and the student’s tuition and fees. To learn more and check your eligibility, please visit the Dept. of Veterans Affairs website.

Please also visit our Veterans and Dependents page for more information.