Husson University in Bangor announced Tuesday that it will offer free tuition for some Penobscot County students, joining a growing group of colleges and universities pledging to make higher education more financially accessible.
The scholarship applies to students who reside in Penobscot County with at least a 3.0 high school GPA and an annual family income of $80,000 or less. Students applying for undergraduate admission in fall 2025 are eligible.
“As a university, Husson wants to ensure that capable, driven students here in Maine can afford a quality education that prepares them for the future,” President Lynne Coy-Ogan said in the release. “Enabling local students to attend Husson without incurring debt is an investment in our future, their future and the future of our local economy.”
Husson enrolls about 2,200 undergraduates. According to the university, 99% of students receive financial aid, and 29% are the first generation in their family to go to college.
The announcement comes a week after Biddeford and Portland-based private University of New England said it would offer free tuition for high school students with at least a 3.85 GPA and annual family income under $100,000. Several other universities around the country – including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Texas System – announced free tuition for students under certain income levels.
The Husson scholarship is partially funded by a donation from alumni Joseph and Suzanne Cyr, former owners of Cyr Bus Lines and Cyr Northstar Tours.
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