Over the course of the past five years in particular, Maine has succeeded in making degree programs and vocational advancement far more accessible online. University College, for example, is operated by the University of Maine system and offers online courses and programs through the system's seven universities. Physical learning hubs like University College Centers, also part of the University of Maine learning system, provide a connection to the university experience off-campus. These centers are considered casual learning spaces designed to provide students with an on-campus experience, even online.
There are also programs like the Maine Online Learning Initiative. This program, which began in 2009, is backed today by Maine, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Mississippi, and aims to provide professionals with access to training, licensure and certification, often remotely, via various university systems. Students can also visit Maine.edu and Maine.gov for even more information about higher learning and online education in the state.
As learning has become more accessible at the secondary and postsecondary levels, tuition in the state has also become slightly more affordable. Maine is one of only four states to see a decrease in tuition between the 2009-10 and 2014-15 academic years. However, the cost of an education in Maine remains slightly higher than in other states. While enrollment rates in Maine have climbed between 2002 and 2012 (12% over the course of a decade), enrollment rates in the state have been consistently lower than the median U.S. enrollment rates. Two-year institutions, however, are the exception: between 2000 and 2010, enrollment at two-year colleges increased a whopping 135.7%.
To read more about Maine's online learning, view our comprehensive listing of schools that offer distance programs and courses below. There are 20 indexed colleges in this database, along with tips about ways to pay for your education in Maine, stats about the state's success ratings and links to other resources that explore higher learning in Maine.
Featured Online Programs
22 Colleges in Maine
Additional Resources
Official State Links
College Savings
- Finance Authority of Maine (FAME): FAME offers NextGen, a 529 plan. With two versions of the plan: one direct purchase and the other advisor sold. These plans have lots of bells and whistles. Applicants to a plan can apply for a $500 Alfond grant or a $200 initial matching grant, with funds applied directly to accounts.
Education Nonprofits
- Maine Education Services: The MES provides support to students and families as they investigate higher education financing opportunities, including locating scholarship sources. The Foundation's site also urges students to explore career interests using the CRAVE Career Exploration System.
- Maine Compact for Higher Education (MCHE): This organization was created to address the needs of adult students in gaining college degrees. Maine has a very low rate of college education among adult citizens, and the state feels they are losing out on jobs and investment for that reason.
- Maine Community Foundation: The MCF aggregates a variety of traditional financial aid and award opportunities, as well as "aspirational, non-traditional and camp" scholarships available to students in the state.
Higher Education News
- UMaine News: UMaine News offers statewide education news, events coverage and the UMaine Today Magazine.