$1,500 Grant for BIPOC Students in Maine

Suppose you are enrolled at an institute of higher education in Maine. In that case, you are probably aware of how expensive it can be to live there, especially if you are pursuing a summer internship.

So, if this is you, we have some good news-

There is a grant totaling an award of $1500 if you are Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color.

• Editor’s Note- As of 2024, women in STEM and first-generation college students are also eligible for the grant.

This is the ‘Equip Grant‘ from Maine Career Catalyt’s Equity in Internships Grant. Suppose you have not heard about Maine Career Catalyst. In that case, they are a non-profit organization focusing on helping students pursuing higher education in Maine to live and work in Maine and helping companies retain talent within the state.

As a person of color, I learned about this grant during my junior year at university (I am a senior now). Since the living costs in Maine are high, it was beneficial to find a way to cover living costs while pursuing an internship during the summer, which is the primary purpose behind the grant.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be either Black, Indigenous, a Person of Color, a Woman in STEM, or A first-generation college student.
• Have an internship in Maine (either paid or unpaid)

And that pretty much sums it up! If you fall in this criteria, you are all set!

Also, here’s a quick note on the internship: You don’t need an internship offer at the time of your application, but you will need one by the beginning of the summer. The grant will not be disbursed without proof that you have an internship offer.

The Application (and bonus tips!)

This is available on Maine Career Catalyst’s website and is a straightforward Google form. The core component of the application is the personal statement of 500 words.

In my personal statement, I talked about why I need this grant and how it will help me achieve my goals during my internship by lowering the burden of living and transportation costs.

At the time, I did not have a car, and my internship required a significant amount of travel to attend events hosted by Maine Career Catalyst (which, by the way, are super valuable, and I highly recommend attending them for networking!).

I mentioned in my application that the grant would go towards purchasing a car, which would give me much-needed mobility to attend networking events during the summer and make connections that could come in handy in the future.

I also talked about how Maine is one of the best places to live and work and how my decision to stay in Maine for the duration of the internship would be possible with the help of the grant.

I was delighted that I was able to receive the grant. My friend had applied with me, but she unfortunately did not get it. It can be competitive, but a genuine need being expressed in the personal statement can go a long way (not that what she wrote in her essay was not genuine, but still).

Key Dates and Deadlines

These are the deadlines for the grant this year. I will update them next year when the new dates are announced, so please make sure to bookmark this page for the future!

Alright, thank you for reading, and Sayonara!