Provost Hecker speaks with Press Herald about Flagship Match, enrollment increase
Jeffrey Hecker, the University of Maine’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, was quoted in a Portland Press Herald article about University of Maine System enrollment. The Press Herald reported that although fewer students enrolled in the system this fall compared to last year, the system more than made up for it financially with a nearly 8 percent increase in out-of-state students, who pay significantly higher tuition. Two of the system’s campuses — Orono and Front Kent — reported enrollment increases over last year, while the others posted declines, according to the article. Hecker said the new Flagship Match program helped boost UMaine’s figures and finances. The financial aid program allows students to pay only what their home state’s flagship university would have charged them as an in-state student, the article states. Overall enrollment at UMaine is up 1.6 percent to 11,077 students, and out-of-state students now make up 30 percent of the overall student body. This fall’s incoming class of 2,300 students is 44 percent from out-of-state, compared to 16 percent five years ago, the Press Herald reported. Hecker said UMaine plans to expand the Flagship Match program to California and Illinois, which have raised in-state tuition in recent years. “It’s a challenge having flat tuition in (Maine), but it is in a way an advantage because other states have really increased their in-state tuition,” he said. “We’re benefiting from those decisions.” Massachusetts native Tim Ryan said he decided to attend UMaine after hearing about Flagship Match online. The Associated Press and Mainebiz cited the Press Herald article. SF Gate and WABI (Channel 5) carried the AP report.