I just talked to my father about most of this. It appears that I was way off with his income. He only makes around $10,000 a year.
Just be sure he will fill out FA paperwork if asked by some colleges, and this opens up more possibilities (CSS profile schools, since most of those also want non- custodial parent info).
He said that he will! @intparent
@gtgonewrong- Since you are female, I really urge you to take a look at Smith and Mount Holyoke, both in Mass. They are part of the 5-college consortium with Amherst College, Hampshire College, and huge UMass Amherst, (ie lots of boys and opportunities to take classes at all the other colleges…) in the Amherst MA area. Both schools are 100% meets need. My D attends Mount Holyoke and loves it.
Another vote for Mt. Holyoke!
I just want to caution that meets need does not always mean affordable. Please have a safety. All of your state schools in Maine should be affordable since your have earned top merit aid for being great student. By all mean try for the 60k a year schools mentioned here but view them as just chances.
@gtgonewrong Also look at the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation to try for a grant. Help available for Maine residence only.
@gearmom I definitely plan on applying to Umaine Orono, and probable the New England School of Communications which is only an hour away from me!
You can apply right now for the Questbridge College Prep scholarship. It is open right now for Jrs. App;y before the application closes March 25. It is not for tuition but is for fully paid summer programs and fly ins to colleges, plus admission advising and a laptop. Take care with your application because it can set you up for the Questbridge College Match which gives you the opportunity to get full rides to several dozen selective colleges. Both these are also awards of distinction to list for your regular college application.
http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/cps-college-prep-scholarship
@gearmom- I’m very interested in your post. Do you know something about the SATKF that I don’t know? I thought their grants were only for non-profits.
Is there a separate scholarship somewhere? I am surprised we never found it as I thought we’d pretty much exhausted all the ME scholarship opportunities!
^ Definitely do the Questbridge application that BrownParent links, @gtgonewrong! That could open up a lot of doors for you!
I am filling it out currently!! @staceyneil . Thank you very much @BrownParent !!!
BrownParent gets the star for the best advice on this thread 
I am so happy your Dad is willing to provide his income, that will open the doors for you. There are very few 100% need schools that you will not be able to afford if their income is what is estimated (assuming you can get in). Your Pell Grant will be around or more than $5000, your EFC easily under that amount and you can, if necessary, take the student loan for $5500. Good luck to you, keep your sights high!
@staceyneil I’m sorry that was so cryptic. I was distracted by having to work on the flipping snow and my son just received a 1k scholarship from UMaine 5 minutes ago. Brings our OOS merit $ to 16k.
I think it might be smart for OP to start building up a professional resume. Essay contest wins would be great. Also maybe OP could find a project that could be done with the funding of SATKF grant. You would have to work with a 501c or create one. (I know big project) The focus for those grants are community projects for literacy and arts. Just an idea. But OP will be competing against students with many ECs for the fancy schools.
EC’s are where I am kind of weak. I go to a small high school ( around 350 kids) i Northern Maine so there is not much opportunity here. I am a 2-sport Varsity athlete though, who has participated in the music programs throughout high school, helped found the schools debate team, a member of a music national honors society, and I am a competitive dancer (though not through the school.) I am attending the Washington Journalism and Media Conference this summer though, which I think will also show some dedication about my future! But I could be wrong, I’m new to this stuff.
I think those are great ECs and your opportunities are factored in when you are evaluated.
I would strongly encourage you to apply to at least two of the Maine privates (Bates, Bowdoin & Colby.) These schools love to admit smart Mainers and have extremely generous FA. I was helping a friend’s daughter from Maine whose D (mom is single parent but with a significantly higher income than your parents combined.) The daughter really wanted to get out of Maine - which I could understand - but in the end none of the schools she applied to out of state (BC, BU, Clark) came even close to what she received from Colby (approx $55K/yr with no loans.) She didn’t apply to Bates or Bowdoin but I’m pretty sure she would have gotten a similar FA package. Her package also included work study.
My S is a student at Bates (we are out of state) and even with an income in the 6 figures he was given approx $40K /yr in institutional aid - plus the Stafford (which he hasn’t needed to take.)
Sounds like you will have lots of great options, in Maine or elsewhere!
@emilybee I’m not sure if I would get accepted to Colby or Bowdoin. There have been students I go to school with that have had much better records than me that were not accepted…
^ I would still apply if I were you. My son’s GPA was the same as yours (3.8ish) and his SAT was around 1910 or so and an ACT of 30 (which was the score he submitted.) But, Bates, Bowdoin and I believe Colby are all test optional so you don’t need to submit a test score at all.
Did the kids from your school who didn’t get in interview? I know Bates takes the interview very seriously. I am not as sure about the other two, but regardless, you should interview if you apply.
You have a lot of great EC’s which make you an attractive candidate and being first generation to go to college is adds to that.
As long as you have an academic safety, which is also a financial safety, I still think you should apply to Bates and Colby (Bowdoin would even be more of a reach for you.) With your parents income you should be able to get an application fee waiver, also.