According to Chancellor Dannel Malloy of the Maine University System, an estimated 190,000 Mainers have completed some amount of college but hold no degree or credential. The UMaine System has been working to address this by taking an innovative approach to recognizing the needs of people and what may be holding them back from finishing or starting a degree or certificate.

This comes at a time when colleges nationwide are seeing a decline in enrollment and according to a recent Wall Street Journal-NORC poll, more than half of Americans do not believe that college is worthwhile. The Maine System itself has seen a 12.3% drop in enrollment since 2019, according to the Portland Press Herald. But Maine is also innovating in that area – cost and free time are barriers to college being addressed.

Among the programs open to Gorham residents and Mainers broadly is YourPace, offered by the University at Presque Isle (UMPI). This program has helped increase enrollment there by 67% according to Malloy. UMPI is the only university in the UMaine System currently growing in terms of enrollment. The program is entirely online and open even to Mainers at the other end of the state.

Representatives of YourPace explained that this program emphasizes prior experience and helps students get credit for it: if you have experience in a field or topic you may be able to fly through the course, saving you time and money while getting credentialed. Unlike traditional online college courses, these do not require discussion boards or exams. Instead, the program is built around “check your understanding” milestones leading to a final project. The student will pay a flat fee of $1500 per 8-week session regardless of how many courses they enroll in.

YourPace offers certificates in human services and mental health rehabilitation, and multiple bachelor’s degrees in fields such as accounting, psychology, marketing, criminal justice, and various types of management. They also offer a master’s program in organizational leadership at $2,150 per session. The application deadline for the next session is April 2 and it begins May 6.

Online education now accounts for 37% of credit hours sold by the entire UMaine system. Chancellor Malloy highlighted the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s online master’s in nursing program. They also offer RN to BSN programs for nurses. Similarly, the University of Southern Maine now offers an online bachelor’s in special education. The list goes on.

At a time when college enrollment is declining, Maine is innovating. Higher education is a key component of Maine’s 10-year economic plan to continue adapting within our changing times by growing our local talent and helping Mainers realize their full potential. And Gorham is in a great position to take advantage of several good options.