US News
Maine public universities to grant college credit for high school career program
The initiative aims to counter declining in-state enrollment and workforce shortages by easing the path to higher education.
The short version
- The University of Maine System will begin accepting credentials from the Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG) program as college credits starting this academic year.
- The policy targets a high school program serving 13,000 students annually, the majority of whom are from low-income families or would be first-generation college students.
- University officials hope the move will boost stagnant postsecondary enrollment and address a broader labor shortage driven by Maine's aging workforce.
Key facts
- The University of Maine System will accept eight specific credentials earned by high schoolers through the JMG program, including leadership development, financial literacy, and digital literacy.[Associated Press]
- JMG serves 13,000 middle and high school students annually, with over 70 percent from low-income households and nearly 70 percent from families where neither parent attended college.[Associated Press]
- In-state student enrollment at the system's seven universities declined from over 18,000 to approximately 16,300 between the 2021-2022 and 2025-2026 academic years, despite a slight 1 percent rise in overall undergraduate enrollment over five years.[Associated Press]
- Maine missed its state goal of having 60 percent of working-age residents hold a postsecondary credential by 2025; the coalition MaineSpark is now aiming for 70 percent by 2035.[Associated Press]