photo of Megan BlanchetteThe trustees of the Maine Higher Education Assistance Foundation (MeHEAF) are pleased to announce the awarding of a scholarship for $1,000 to Megan Blanchette of New Canada, Maine. Megan is a senior business management student at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, where she maintains a high grade-point average.

Jessica Verry, manager of member services, at the Maine Bankers Association, made the presentation to Megan Blanchette during a Zoom ceremony held on Wednesday, February 23rd, with members of the UMFK campus in attendance.

Participating schools select scholarship recipients who are in their second, third, or fourth year of study and whom are Maine high school graduates majoring in a business-related subject. The schools choose recipients based upon academic standing. The MeHEAF awards all scholarships for second-semester expenses.

“We are so excited to partner with the HEAF scholarship through the Maine Bankers Association and reward wonderful students, like Megan Blanchette, for all of their hard work, determination, and perseverance in their academic studies,” said Dr. Kaisa Holloway Cripps, Assistance Professor of Business at UMFK. “We are appreciative of scholarship opportunities like this to connect student’s academic programs with their future careers!”

Megan is a 2014 graduate of Community High School in Fort Kent. She is currently working for GB&D Farms in Fort Kent as a bookkeeper. The MeHEAF scholarship was awarded to Megan also in 2019. She will graduate from UMFK in May 2022.

Organizers formed the Maine Higher Education Assistance Foundation in the 1950s as a guarantee fund for student loans. The founders included a wide range of banks, businesses, community organizations, and individuals. In 1990, the MeHEAF trustees, to continue the original intent of the founding members, initiated a scholarship program funded by the return on the original loan guarantee funds. The Maine Bankers Association, now located in Westbrook, manages the fund.

MeHEAF has given 33 scholarships to UMFK students to date. UMFK also has a plaque with former student names and year awarded, which the University displays in the Grindle Conference Room, located in Cyr Hall.