College extends special invitation to prospective Canadian students to take advantage of strong dollar, recently signed cross border agreement
AROOSTOOK COUNTY — Retailers on the U.S. side along the Maine-New Brunswick border are seeing more and more shoppers from Canada come through their doors as the “Loonie” fluctuates on either side of being at par with the U.S. dollar. One northern Maine College is rolling out the welcome mat in hopes of attracting more Canadians who want to take advantage of the strong dollar to pursue higher education.
Northern Maine Community College, with its main campus in Presque Isle and off-campus centers in Houlton and Madawaska, regularly holds information sessions at each location to answer any questions local community members have about college offerings, preparing for and applying to college, financial aid and other aspects of the college experience. The events are designed to facilitate entry into higher education, specifically NMCC.
The College and Houlton Higher Education Center, where NMCC courses are delivered in southern Aroostook County, are planning just such a session on Thursday, Nov. 29, from 3 to 7 p.m. (Eastern Time) for residents of the region. The College is hoping to see more prospective students from across the border in neighboring Woodstock, New Brunswick and the surrounding areas of the province who might want to learn more about the College and its offerings.
“We have some students from western New Brunswick currently enrolled in degree programs and courses at our Presque Isle campus,” said Jason Parent, NMCC director of development and college relations. “In speaking with a few of them recently, we’ve heard time and again how pleased they are with their educational experience, and, of late, how much of a great value they are getting as a result of their strong dollar.”
In addition to the strong Canadian currency, NMCC officials are hoping more New Brunswick residents will take advantage of an agreement signed last February between the Maine Community College System and the New Brunswick Community College System at a ceremony attended by Maine Governor John Baldacci and New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham.
Under the agreement, New Brunswick students are able to study at either Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle or Washington County Community College in Calais, in certain programs of study where space is available, and pay in-state tuition rates. The understanding also allows Maine students to take courses at eleven different Community Colleges in New Brunswick and to do so at in-country rates, which are comparable to the cost of in-state tuition at Maine’s community colleges.
In recent weeks, NMCC admissions representatives have visited high schools in New Brunswick communities just across the border from central Aroostook County to speak about the benefits of the agreement and other opportunities NMCC can offer.
The “Access to College” open house planned for the Houlton Higher Education Center on Nov. 29 is open to individuals of all ages from throughout the region on both sides of the Maine New Brunswick border.
“The primary purpose of this session is to help people plan their educational future,” said Otis Smith, who coordinates NMCC course and program offerings at the off-campus center at the Houlton Higher Education facility on Military Street in the Shiretown. “We especially extend an invitation to individuals who are considering beginning in January 2008 or the 2008 fall term.”
For more information on the “Access to College” open house at the Houlton Higher Education Center on Nov. 29, please contact Smith at (207) 521-3154.
