PORTLAND — The University of Southern Maine has announced it has reached a major milestone in its campaign for the Promise Scholarship Program, which serves first-generation USM students with significant financial need.

Over the past three years, it has raised more than $8.8 million for Promise, including over $7.5 million needed to endow the USM Promise Scholarship in perpetuity.

With the Promise Scholars, USM has managed to give students ongoing support that has led to a 93% retention rate with their first two classes in 2018 and 2019.

The program has been successful even during the pandemic, as 100% of Promise Scholars were retained from spring to fall semester, including Abbie Vaughan, majoring in English, Brownfield; Colbey Goozey, psychology, and Erick Williamson, criminology, both of Farmington; Salah Ali, psychology, Lewiston; Breeanna Faulkingham, English teaching, Norridgewock; and Melissa Deatrich, English, Poland.

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