The trustees of the Maine Higher Education Assistance Foundation (MeHEAF) are pleased to announce the awarding of a scholarship for $1,000 to Julia Labbe of Eagle Lake. Julia is a junior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business management at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, where she maintains a high grade-point average.

Josh Steirman, director of government relations of the Maine Bankers Association, made the presentation to Labbe on Tuesday, December 6th at Katahdin Trust Company, in Fort Kent, with members of UMFK faculty and staff, local bank representatives, and Julia’s parents.

Participating schools select scholarship recipients who are in their second, third, or fourth year of study and 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.

Julia Labbe is a 2021 graduate of Community High School in Fort Kent and currently works at Corriveau’s Hilltop Blossoms. Julia will graduate from UMFK in May of 2024.

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 thirty-three scholarships to UMFK students to date. UMFK also has a plaque with each student’s name and year awarded, which the University displays in the Grindle conference room located in Cyr Hall.