Inside Higher Ed, BDN publish reports on how UMaine increased enrollment
Inside Higher Ed, Bangor Daily News and Education Dive published articles on the University of Maine’s jump in enrollment and how the university attracted more out-of-state students. As of last week, 2,447 students planned to join UMaine’s Class of 2020 and had paid the $150 deposit to secure a spot — a 22 percent increase over last year, according to the BDN. One of the reasons for the increase is the creation of UMaine’s Flagship Match program, which targets students from other New England states, offering the chance to come to UMaine while paying the same tuition and fees they would have paid to attend their home state’s flagship campus, the BDN reported. The program has paid off with a 54 percent increase in out-of-state first-year commitments for the fall, according to Inside Higher Ed. “We certainly have not been spending more per out-of-state student,” Jeffrey Hecker, UMaine’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, told Inside Higher Ed. “We’ve been pretty targeted. I think we’ve got a certain kind of student who’s coming here, and the financial aid we’re able to offer and their backgrounds make this affordable.” The Portland Press Herald published an editorial on the topic titled, “Tuition relief for out-of-state students could pay off for Maine economy.”