More education means more opportunities for our graduates and alumni.

The mission of the Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund is to provide need-based financial assistance to Boothbay Region High School graduates seeking education beyond the secondary level.

Over 60 years ago, a group of community members who wanted to help young people who aspired to furthering their education after graduation from Boothbay Region High School, came together to form the Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund (BRSAF) organization. Today, the BRSAF, led by an all-volunteer Board of Directors from the Boothbay Region, provides financial assistance in the form of loan-free grants to BRHS graduates and alumni.

The BRSAF has been able to cover a portion of students’ educational expenses thanks to the  continued generosity and committed support from individuals, community organizations, and businesses. These contributions to the annual fund or capital gifts made to establish named funds or to increase our invested funds have been critical in facilitating the education of so many.

Colleges and other post-secondary institutions rely on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to assess each family's Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is a numerical value that reflects a family's ability to contribute to educational expenses. The SAI is used in conjunction with the student's cost of attendance (COA) to identify any unmet financial need. The COA represents total estimated expenses for attending a particular institution, including tuition, fees, room and board, and other associated costs. Most schools address the student's unmet financial need by offering a financial aid package. These packages may consist of grants, scholarships, loans, and word-study opportunities. While financial aid packages help reduce the financial burden, they typically do not cover the entire unmet need, leaving students and families responsible for the remaining costs.

BRSAF employs its own calculation of a student's cost of attendance, referred to as BCOA, in determining a student's financial need. This unique approach allows BRSAF to compute need based on its specific criteria, which may differ from the standard methods used by other institutions.

BRSAF is dedicated to providing grants to support BRHS graduates and alumni who are in good standing and in their first through sixth year of study at a college or university, community college, trade school, or other professional training. BHRS alumni who return to higher education later in life are also eligible. Often the grants increase after the first year.

BRSAF is comprised of a volunteer Board of Directors working from the Boothbay Region.

Each year, the monies raised during our annual fund drive are combined with funds from our investments to fund our grants. In the last ten years, we have funded roughly 719 grants. These grants have a significant impact to reduce the cost of attendance for these students/parents, however costs continue to increase, and to that end, we need the generosity of many donors!