UMaine System offers freebie to struggling students

Courtesy / University of Maine System All seven campuses of the University of Maine System, including in Presque Isle, will participate in an initiative that offers a free course to struggling first-year students.

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By Staff

To help struggling students succeed in college in preparation for entering the workforce, the University of Maine System on Friday said it will offer a course at no charge to promising first-year students who fail a class during their first semester.

The initiative, known as "Make the Grade," will offer students a free three-hour credit class, saving an average $780 in tuition costs. The freebie is part of a broader goal by UMS Chancellor Dannel Malloy to boost the percentage of students who stay in school.

First-year students at UMaine Sytem schools who failed a course in the fall 2018 term were more than twice as likely not to return when compared to the overall class, and only 44% of first-year students who failed a course last fall were back on campus this September. "Make the Grade" aims to keep struggling students like these on track.

“Maine students and their families need to know they are valued at our universities and that we are committed to their success,” he said in a news release.

He added that while a free course is not a remedy, "it sends the message to struggling students that the transition to college can be a challenge and they are not alone. Maine is counting on our university leaders, faculty and staff to do even more to meet students where they are and with the support they need to succeed.”

All seven UMS campuses will participate in the program, and proactively reach out to eligible students after the holiday break.

Friday's announcement coincided with the end of final exams for the fall 2019 semester. Details and informational materials about the new initiative are still being finalized at each of Maine’s public universities.