HOPE Program Maine: Tuition, Books, and Childcare Help for Kinship Caregivers

Taking in a grandchild or niece often means putting your own education or career training on hold — but Maine's HOPE Program is designed for exactly your situation, covering tuition, books, childcare, and even transportation while you go back to school.

What the HOPE Program Covers

HOPE (Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment) helps Maine families with children pay for post-secondary education and training. The program can cover:

• Tuition and fees at qualifying Maine colleges, universities, and training programs
• Required books and supplies
• Childcare costs while you attend classes or study
• Transportation expenses to get to campus and back

These benefits are grants, not loans — you don't repay them.

Who Qualifies as a Kinship Caregiver

HOPE serves Maine-resident parents or caretaker relatives of a minor child who are age 16 to 64 and accepted to or enrolled at least half-time in qualifying post-high-school education or training. Less-than-half-time enrollment requires separate approval.

Your household must meet these financial limits:

• Gross income at or below 225% of the Federal Poverty Level
• Assets of $10,000 or less, excluding your primary home and one car
• No one in the family unit can be receiving monthly TANF or PaS cash benefits

That rule applies at the family-unit level: if anyone in your family unit receives a monthly TANF or PaS cash benefit, you do not meet this HOPE eligibility condition.

How HOPE Differs from CCAP

Maine also runs the Child Care Affordability Program (CCAP), which helps eligible families pay for child care while adults work, attend school, or train; eligible retired adults who are a child's legal guardian may also qualify. CCAP is a broader child-care subsidy — it covers working hours, not just school hours — while HOPE bundles child care with tuition and transportation as an education-support package.

CCAP has its own eligibility and application process through DHHS's Child Care Affordability Program. Contact the HOPE Program about its education support and CCAP about its child-care eligibility.

How to Apply

1. Confirm enrollment at a qualifying Maine post-secondary program (community colleges, universities, and approved training programs all count)
2. Gather financial documents: pay stubs, tax returns, proof of childcare costs, and proof that you are caring for the child
3. Complete the HOPE Program application listed on Maine DHHS's HOPE page and submit it through MyMaineConnection, or contact the HOPE Program for help.
4. Ask specifically about HOPE during your interview, because the program is administered separately from other OFI benefits

What If You're Already Retired?

Retired grandparents who hold legal guardianship of a grandchild and meet the income and asset limits can qualify for HOPE. The program does not require current employment — it requires enrollment in education or training. If you are considering going back to school to re-enter the workforce while raising a grandchild, HOPE is worth exploring.

Next Steps

HOPE can significantly reduce the financial burden of going back to school while raising a relative's child. For a complete walkthrough of every Maine benefit available to kinship caregivers — including how HOPE fits alongside TANF child-only grants, MaineCare, SNAP, and CCAP — the Maine Kinship Financial Help guide puts all of these programs in one place with step-by-step application instructions.

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