13 Apr 2026

Free help sessions on Education Savings for UMS Employees and their families

Get FREE one-on-one help from trusted experts.

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and the Alfond Scholarship Foundation are bringing a special NextGen 529® information day to University of Maine System employees on April 29th & 30th, and you won’t want to miss it!

Book a FREE, virtual one‑on‑one help session with a FAME expert and receive information on how NextGen 529 and the Alfond Grant can help you reach your education or family savings goals. You can also get your choice of a $50 Walmart gift card or a $50 Gift of College1 gift card after completing your virtual help session.

Many Maine families use NextGen 529 accounts to pay for many kinds of education, from two- to four- year degree programs to trade schools, apprenticeships, and even qualified online courses.2 You can use your session to learn more about:

  • Matching grants for Maine residents and the $500 Alfond Grant.3
  • Details on the flexibility of NextGen 529 funds.

Spaces are limited, so be sure to reserve your appointment today.

1Gift of College Inc. and its website, giftofcollege.com, are not associated with FAME or NextGen 529, its program manager or other service providers. FAME and its program manager or other service providers each expressly disclaim any responsibility for or liability associated with Gift of College Inc.’s products and services, including but not limited to, any transaction effected through giftofcollege.com. The service is mentioned for your information only. Users should carefully review the Gift of College Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, contribution methods, and fees before using giftofcollege.com, and users assume all risks of site registration and membership, and making purchases and contributions on giftofcollege.com, as applicable. If a contribution is effected through giftofcollege.com, proper credit or investment to a NextGen 529 account cannot be guaranteed or confirmed by FAME, its program manager or other service providers.

2To be eligible for favorable tax treatment afforded to any earnings portion of withdrawals from Section 529 accounts, such withdrawals must be used for qualified higher education expenses, as defined in Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. Any earnings withdrawn that are not used for qualified higher education expenses are subject to federal income tax and may be subject to a 10% additional federal tax as well as state and local income taxes. State tax treatment of distributions for certain qualified higher education expenses may differ. Please consult your tax advisor for specific advice regarding such distributions.

3 Grants for Maine residents are linked to eligible Maine accounts. Upon withdrawal, grants are paid only to institutions of higher education. See Terms and Conditions of Maine Grant Programs at NextGenforME.com for other conditions and restrictions that apply. Grants may lose value.

Investing is an important decision. The investments in your account may vary with market conditions and could lose value. Carefully read the Program Description in its entirety for more information and consider all investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. For a copy of the Program Description, visit NextGenforME.com or call 1-833-336-4529.

Investments in NextGen 529 are not guaranteed or insured by the State of Maine, the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), NextGen 529 service providers, any other state or federal agency, or any other party. Non-qualified withdrawals are subject to federal taxes and penalties and Maine state income tax. NextGen 529 does not provide legal, investment, financial aid, tax or other advice, and the information provided does not contain advice and cannot be construed as such or relied upon for those purposes. You should consult your own advisors.

If you or your beneficiary are not Maine residents, your home state or that of your beneficiary may offer a 529 plan that provides state tax or other benefits, such as financial aid, scholarship funds, and protection from creditors, not available to you by investing in NextGen 529. You should consider such benefits, if any, before investing in NextGen 529.

NextGen 529 is a Section 529 plan administered by FAME. Vestwell State Savings, LLC is the program manager, The Bank of New York Mellon is the program custodian, BlackRock Advisors, LLC is the program investment manager. BlackRock Investments, LLC, Member FINRA, is the program distributor and underwriter for the Client Select Series only. Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, Member FINRA, is the program distributor and underwriter for the Client Connect and Client Direct Series. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (Merrill), a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC, is the NextGen 529 Direct Series recordkeeping agent. BlackRock Advisors, LLC is an affiliate of BlackRock Investments, LLC; the other service providers to NextGen 529 are not affiliated with each other.