Any student. Any time. Any reason.
The USM Opportunity Scholarship supports any student, at any time, for any reason. Flexible funding like this removes barriers from application to graduation — creating pathways to opportunity, social mobility, and a stronger Maine workforce.
A Lasting Connection
A gift of any size helps USM respond directly when students need support. When you make a gift of $1,000 or more to the USM Opportunity Scholarship, you’ll have the opportunity to name a scholarship after yourself or someone else for one year, allowing students to see who believed in their potential and helped them continue their education. You’ll also become a member of the President’s Circle, joining a community of leadership donors whose annual generosity is expanding opportunity and strengthening the future of USM.
Opportunity should never depend on a student’s financial circumstances.
USM educates students with enormous talent and determination, many of whom are balancing work, family responsibilities, long commutes, and financial insecurity. Even a relatively small financial setback can interrupt a student’s education. The Opportunity Scholarship helps ensure that a student’s potential—not their bank account—determines whether they graduate.
Because of my scholarship, I was able to stay at USM even after my family hit a financial crisis in my second year. No one in my family had finished college, so navigating that path was uncharted — but here I found a support system that guided me through, all the way to graduating with two degrees, a B.A. in Theatre and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance.
My scholarship gave me the financial freedom to keep my job as a Personal Support Specialist on my own terms, focus on my studies, and still show up for my family. Since graduating, I’ve stayed in Maine — now serving my community as an ICU nurse, with dreams of pediatric care and global service still ahead. I believe an act of kindness sparks another, and I hope to use this degree to pass on what these scholarships have given me.
Let’s continue the conversation.
Contact Sue Estabrook, Director of Annual Giving:
Phone: 207-780-4951 or Fax: 207-780-4778
Email: susan.estabrook@maine.edu
Mail: Make your check payable to University of Southern Maine Foundation and addressed to Sue Estabrook, USM Foundation, P.O. Box 9300, Portland, ME 04101-9300
When planning to make a gift to USM, seek the advice of your financial or legal advisor.