Two UMaine System campuses team up to offer student grants for health care training

Courtesy / University of Maine at Augusta The University of Maine at Augusta, part of the University of Maine System, has a current enrollment of around 5,700 full-time and part-time students.

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By Alexis Wells

The University of Maine at Augusta and the University of Maine at Farmington have come together to enhance mental health and human services programs and offer grant funding to students.

The collaboration will better prepare students to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving health care and human services landscape, the schools said in a news release.

“This partnership will strengthen our commitment to producing highly skilled professionals in mental health and human services,” said Jenifer Cushman, president of UMA. “By working together with UMF, we can provide our students with an even more exceptional education and empower them to make a meaningful impact in their communities.”

The collaboration is being funded by a $285,000 grant from the University of Maine System, using funds from the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan.

To be eligible for the grant, prospective students must be accepted into the program; they can apply online for grant funding, which covers up to 50% of the tuition for specific courses. Those who get into the program will also be eligible for cross-enrollment and support for licensing exams.

“UMA and UMF faculty have recognized the financial barriers that students face and having access to these grant funds will hopefully encourage people to consider starting a new career as a substance use disorders counselor or an employment specialist,” said Wendy St. Pierre, assistant professor of mental health and human services and academic coordinator for the program at UMA. “One of our goals is to promote careers in human services to meet the current workforce and consumer needs across the state of Maine and beyond.”