In Year Two Of Pandemic, Out-Of-State Students Boosting Enrollment At Maine Universities

Colleges and universities across the U.S. are still trying to regain their footing as the grip of the pandemic begins to ease.

Enrollment fell across the country this past year, as students balked at the prospect of online classes and financial uncertainty. But early signs suggest that more students could be returning to campus this fall— and in Maine, that’s being largely driven by applicants from out of state.

High school senior Ava Martineau grew up in New York, but for years, she’s thought about heading north for college.

Martineau has family who went to school in Maine, and she says she’s always been drawn to smaller cities, like Portland. When the pandemic hit, Martineau says those feelings only got stronger. She saw Maine’s relative safety and its lower case counts.

And her preferred school — the University of Southern Maine — kept its campus open, while many other colleges were forced to go remote last fall.

Read the rest of the story at Maine Public’s website.