As part of broader efforts to keep more Maine students in the state for college and careers, the University of Maine System (UMS) will offer $250 scholarships to 24,500 Alfond Grant recipients who are now in high school and even beginning to graduate, supporting their educational attainment and upward mobility while strengthening Maine’s workforce.

Alfond Grant recipients born in the 2008 pilot year at MaineGeneral and those born statewide 2009-2012 who enroll at Maine’s public universities are eligible for the one-time $250 scholarship, which is being funded by the System, in large part using slot machine revenue it receives through the State.

Chancellor Dannel Malloy announced the new incentive during an October 6 celebration hosted by the Alfond Scholarship Foundation at the University of Maine at Augusta to mark the first Alfond Grant recipients starting higher education this fall. 

“We want young people in this state to see a pathway to college, Maine careers and success through our excellent public universities,” said Chancellor Malloy, in a University of Maine System news release. “While our System is already the most affordable in the region, this additional scholarship builds on Harold Alfond’s incredible legacy and makes our public universities and upward mobility even more accessible to Maine families. We believe this is a win-win-win that strengthens student opportunities, enrollment at our public institutions, and the state’s employers and economy.”

Amid the most difficult demographics for higher education in the nation and professional workforce shortages that are limiting economic growth and competitiveness, the scholarship is the System’s latest effort to raise aspirations and encourage more of the state’s high school students to earn door-opening degrees through Maine’s public universities, according to the System. Other initiatives include free early college, direct admission, credit for Jobs for Maine’s Graduates microcredentials, new degree programs aligned with workforce needs, the most affordable four-year tuition in New England and a free tuition guarantee for Pell-eligible Maine students at most UMS universities. 

According to U.S. Department of Education data, the Northeast is experiencing the nation’s steepest decline in high school graduates, and Maine’s graduating class is shrinking faster than those in 45 other states. 

“Eighteen years ago, the Alfond Grant helped to establish and encourage my family to make regular contributions to my college savings account, which is now helping me attend the University of Maine,” said first-year Black Bear Jillian Boyden, who was born in 2008 in Waterville and is among the pilot recipients. “I am grateful to Mr. Alfond and my family for investing in my brighter future. I couldn’t be happier with my choice to attend the state’s flagship university and I hope other Alfond Grant recipients take advantage of this added benefit to enroll in Maine’s public universities, where the dollars they saved will go even further toward their higher education.” 

System leaders have additionally committed to promoting the scholarship to high school students and to working with the Alfond Scholarship Foundation and the Harold Alfond Foundation — which is investing $320 million in Maine’s public universities to improve student success and Maine’s workforce and economy through UMS TRANSFORMS — to support students with Alfond Grants born in 2013 and later and encourage their families to save for higher education.

According to the University of Maine System, UMaine’s public universities are the most affordable in New England, with about 30% of undergraduates paying nothing out of pocket for tuition and mandatory fees. More than 40% of System undergraduates are considered first-generation students and their bachelor's degree attainment rate is more than double the national average for this population. Working-age alumni of its flagship UMaine earn more than two times the state’s median earnings. In the last decade, UMS has awarded more than 60,000 door-opening degrees and certificates, led by those in majors most aligned with the state's workforce needs, including business, education, healthcare, liberal arts, and engineering and computing.