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UMaine Machias and other UMS campuses providing free tuition to Lewiston mass shooting victims

November 30, 2023 News, UMaine Machias in the News

Those who were physically injured and surviving family members of those killed in the Lewiston mass shooting last month will be able to attend the University of Maine at Machias, the regional campus of the University of Maine, and other University of Maine System institutions for free.

Gov. Janet Mills, Chancellor Dannel Malloy and the Board of Trustees announced today a new Lewiston Strong Tuition Waiver for eligible victims who choose to pursue a bachelor’s degree through any of Maine’s public universities.

To make the transformational power of a four-year postsecondary degree even more accessible, UMS has also established a Lewiston Strong Scholarship Fund through which the public is invited to invest in the future of those impacted by the Lewiston shooting. The fund, which will be managed by the University of Maine Foundation, will help defray other costs of college attendance including room, board and books, with preference given to those eligible for the waiver.

“I thank the University of Maine System for establishing the Lewiston Strong Tuition Waiver and Scholarship Fund, which will ensure that the cost of higher education will never be a barrier for those directly impacted by the tragedy in Lewiston,” said Gov. Janet Mills. “Through their boundless generosity, Maine people are demonstrating that our state will stand by those who were injured and the families of those who were killed in the months, years and decades to come.”

Read the full story about the tuition waiver and scholarship fund on the System website.

The University of Maine Foundation and the University of Southern Maine Foundation will both accept donations toward the scholarship fund. To donate through the University of Maine Foundation, visit our.umaine.edu/lewiston or mail checks to Lewiston Strong Scholarship Fund c/o UMaine Foundation, Two Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469-5792.

To donate through the USM Foundation, visit usm.maine.edu/lewistonstrong or mail checks to Lewiston Strong Scholarship Fund c/o USM Foundation P.O. Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104-9300.

Contact: Samantha Warren, 207.632.0389; samantha.warren@maine.edu