ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine announced Friday a commitment to match financial aid offers from any other New England land-grant universities as part of a push to continue educating Maine residents.
Under the Maine Matters program, the university will review financial aid offers from other New England land-grant universities and provide grants to match the net cost of tuition and fees and room and board.
The match program builds on a strong foundation of scholarships for in-state students, according to the university. Maine students who are accepted to UMaine are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships, which means every acceptance letter will offer either a $500 Maine Matters award, or a merit scholarship worth between $2,000 and $8,000, renewable for up to four years.
“The Maine Matters program is a demonstration of the university’s commitment to serving and supporting Maine students and their families. Cost will not be a factor for any college bound Mainers considering attending a land-grant university outside of the state,” Joel Wincowski, UMaine’s Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management, said.
“Educating our Maine students in the state allows them to set their roots here and build the foundation for a successful career in Maine,” he said.
New England land-grant universities include the University of New Hampshire, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Connecticut, University of Vermont, University of Rhode Island, MIT and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
To be considered for the Maine Matters program and merit scholarships, students must apply to UMaine by Feb. 1, 2016. Students who file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1 also will be evaluated for an increased Maine Matters award based on financial need, as well as other federal and state need-based aid they may be eligible for.
To qualify for one of four merit-based scholarships, Maine residents must meet the following criteria:
— Presidential: Top of class or high school GPA of 3.0 or higher and SAT score of 1400 or higher.
— Flagship: High school GPA of 3.0 or higher and SAT score of 1280 or higher.
— Dean’s: High school GPA of 3.0 or higher and SAT score of 1200 or higher.
— Black Bear: High school GPA of 3.0 or higher and SAT score of 1100 or higher.
“We are excited to offer these awards to Maine students and look forward to welcoming them to the University of Maine next fall,” Wincowski said.