AUGUSTA, Maine — The University of Maine at Augusta has received a gift in excess of $1 million from an anonymous donor, according to an announcement made Thursday by UMA President Glenn Cummings.
“We could not be more excited about this incredibly generous gift,” Cummings said in the press release. “It signals a strong confidence in UMA and an explicit recognition of the importance of our unique mission.”
The gift is part of UMA’s 50th Anniversary Fund campaign, launched in conjunction with the school’s 50th anniversary in 2015. Campaign funds will be used for student scholarships, supporting veterans enrolled at UMA’s Augusta and Bangor campuses, strengthening the school’s online and distance education offerings, and renovating the auditorium, according to UMA’s announcement.
“The donor sees our vital role in the lives of working Mainers and the high quality of our educational offerings, especially with UMA’s recent recognition by US News as offering one of the best online programs in the nation. This donor would like to see other donors and foundations embrace UMA,” Cummings added in the press release.
The donation is composed of an estate gift comprising a planned gift through an irrevocable trust of $1 million, plus a portion of the residue of the donor’s estate, making the total gift in excess of $1 million, according to a UMA spokeswoman. An exact figure will not be available until the remainder of the donor’s estate has been determined, she said.
“With the $1 million gift, we are more than halfway to our 50th Anniversary Fund goal of $5 million,” Marge Medd, co-chair of the 50th Anniversary Fund campaign and member of the University of Maine System Board of Trustees, said in the press release. “Many individuals, businesses and foundations in the community and around the state have also contributed generously, and we are hoping many more will join in to help us reach our goal in the months ahead.”
Cummings pointed out the campaign’s goal is more than money.
“Our real goal is to support our students, many of whom are older and raising families, and where even small scholarships of just a few hundred dollars can make a huge difference in their success,” he said in the announcement.
Founded in 1965 by an act of Legislature, UMA is the third largest public university in Maine. In addition to its main campus in the state’s capital, UMA also serves students at its campus in Bangor and through university college centers around the state.