The University of Maine at Presque Isle will hold two commencement ceremonies this week, with more than 550 graduates expected to cross the stage, according to a May 7 opinion editorial by UMPI President Raymond Rice. Behind these ceremonies are a total of 1,752 people who have submitted materials for graduation during this academic year, making it the largest graduating class in the university’s history.
This milestone is significant for both the university and the state. The diverse group of graduates includes not only traditional students from Maine but also working adults from across the country and overseas military bases. Many have completed their degrees through YourPace, UMPI’s competency-based education program designed for adult learners who require flexible schedules and affordable tuition.
Rice said that many graduates are parents studying after their children go to bed, veterans translating military service into academic credentials, and professionals returning to finish degrees they started years ago. “Every one of them is exactly who this program was built for,” Rice said.
The editorial highlights specific stories among this year’s graduates: a student in their forties earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees after working more than a decade in higher education; a professional with 35 years’ experience finding a program that fits their life; and a consultant at a major firm studying only on weekends due to demanding work schedules. Rice said these examples demonstrate how UMPI has adapted its offerings to meet real workforce needs in Maine.
Rice also pointed out that since 2020, UMPI’s enrollment has grown by more than 237 percent—to over 3,700 students—at a time when many universities are seeing declines. He attributed much of this growth to programs like YourPace and Free for Four, which guarantees full-time Pell-eligible Maine residents pay no out-of-pocket tuition or fees. “Our students are not just enrolling—they are finishing,” Rice said. He added that YourPace boasts an 87 percent competency completion rate.
Concluding his remarks on next week’s ceremonies, Rice said: “They did the work. They met the standard. And many of them will tell you that a small public university in northern Maine gave them something that the rest of higher education said wasn’t possible: an affordable, rigorous degree on a timeline that fits their life.”
