The Promise Scholarship

On Thursday, September 24, President Cummings announced an unprecedented matching gift challenge to fully endow the Promise Scholarship program to benefit future generations of Maine students with high academic potential but limited financial means. The Promise matching gift challenge comes at a critical moment when scholarship support for higher education is more essential than ever.

The new Boulos Veterans Promise Completion Scholarship Fund will provide critical financial support to help veterans complete a degree at USM. It will also help fund a graduate assistantship for a veteran to work with the Promise Scholarship program in supplementing career and other support services provided by USM’s Office of Veterans Services.

"The USM Update" is back. This month, we discuss the relatively new Promise Scholarship, the Gateway to Opportunity program, which engages local youth and with meaningful work experiences, and two internships completed by our Food Studies students.

First-year social work student Sabrina Freeman never thought she was college material. But with confidence gained through Early College courses and financial assistance from USM's Promise Scholarship, Freeman isn't just living her dreams — she's transforming them.

First-year USM student Sabrina Freeman student was featured in a Maine Public broadcast discussing college readiness among Maine students.

In light of recent news of college admissions scandals occurring nationwide, Portland Press Herald columnist Bill Nemitz has written a piece highlighting USM's commitment to helping students from all backgrounds afford a college education.

USM welcomes Daniel Barton as the inaugural Promise Scholar Coordinator. Daniel brings extensive experience to his role, most recently as a student advisor at USM. He will manage all aspects of USM's new program, which includes enhanced academic and personal advising as well as collaboration with youth development partner organizations.

Financial entrepreneur Shirl Penney visited USM to not only relate how his education and his mentors helped him to break the cycle of poverty, but he spent some time meeting with the inaugural class of the University of Southern Maine's Promise Scholars, a group of 19 young people from Maine who were selected for their leadership potential, ability and willingness to give it back to the world.

Author and Walgreens executive Steve Pemberton helped launch USM's $15 million Promise Scholars initiative by sharing stories of kindness and generosity, cherished moments for an orphaned boy who was often neglected and discarded.

"The Promise Scholarship is at the heart of USM's broader next-generation vision and campaign, and it is the core of who we are as a university," President Glenn Cummings said at the announcement covered by several media outlets.