Nearly half a million adults lack college degrees. Two out of three employers in Maine report having trouble finding skilled workers.
Maine is one of just three states without a free-standing community college system.
These are not unrelated facts. The study suggests that 50 percent of Maine residents without a degree are indeed interested in returning to school, but most of them can't because of the expense. That's why the new Osher Scholarship has the potential to transform the Maine economy. The program, being announced today by the Maine Technical Colleges, gives any state resident who is accepted into the system's associate in arts degree program between April 30 and May 11 two free courses. After two years, students in the program can graduate with an associate's degree, or they can transfer their credits to any of Maine's universities and pursue a bachelor's degree.