PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The members of Maine’s high school Class of 2020 got an early graduation gift recently: access to free summer courses at Maine’s community colleges.
Maine students who graduate in 2019/2020 are invited to apply for the free online courses at Northern Maine Community College. A student taking two free college courses this summer at NMCC can save between $2,000 and $7,000 in tuition at a four-year college or university.
“The Class of 2020 has lost a lot this spring, from missing out on proms and traditional graduation ceremonies to a disruption of their college and work plans,” said David Daigler, president of the Maine Community College System, in announcing the MCCS Gift to the Class of 2020.
“Summer jobs are likely to be in short supply, which makes it hard to earn money to help with college expenses and gain valuable work experience. We hope this can save the Class of 2020 significant time and money in reaching their college and career goals,” Daigler said. “We can’t replace what they have lost, but we can offer to help them keep moving forward.”
Students interested in getting a head start on their college career will be eligible to choose from online college-level classes in anatomy, computer applications, English, history, math, psychology, and Spanish.
To learn more about the available classes and how to enroll at NMCC, students should contact Sarah Stackhouse at 768–2782 or email nsstackh@nmcc.edu.
About 13,000 Maine students will graduate from high school this spring, and about 60 percent — or 8,000 students — are expected to enroll in college this fall. The MCCS Gift to the Class of 2020 is an invitation to all graduates to explore their interests and potential.
