The University of Maine at Presque Isle is taking a bold step toward college affordability and accessibility for Maine students and families, and strengthening its commitment to on-time degree completion and the needs of the Maine workforce, with the announcement today of The Way It Should Be, the state’s first comprehensive program that provides free and significantly reduced tuition for eligible Maine families. First-time, full-time college students who are Maine residents and Pell Grant-eligible will be able to take advantage of free tuition and no fees, saving them nearly $8,000 per year, while other Maine students may be eligible for $3,084 or more in financial aid packaging, which would reduce their tuition and fee costs by nearly 40 percent or more.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will present Joel Berg, international hunger expert, author, and CEO of Hunger Free America, as the first guest speaker in its 2017-2018  Distinguished Lecturer Series on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. As part of the 4th annual Maine Hunger Dialogue taking place at UMPI, Berg, the author of All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?, will deliver the keynote address, discussing hunger in America and how the public can build the political movement necessary to end the problem once and for all. This event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

After a summer “out of orbit” for re-painting, the Planet Jupiter will return to its spot in the Maine Solar System Model on Friday morning, Oct. 6. Located 5.2 miles from the Sun, which is housed at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the planet is one of the most easily-spotted features of the Maine Solar System Model, which stretches from UMPI to Topsfield, Maine.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Alumni Association recently honored an alumna with the GOLD (Graduate of the Last Decade) award during the University’s Convocation activities on Sept. 7.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will present Homecoming 2017: Friends and Family Weekend on Thursday to Monday, Oct. 5-9, featuring entertainment and family-friendly activities. From a show by percussive performance group Plastic Musik to an explosive fireworks display to multiple alumni games for students and the public, all are invited to join the University for its annual Homecoming weekend.

Officials at the University of Maine at Presque Isle are pleased to announce that the institution earned three top rankings on U.S. News and World Report’s 2018 Best Colleges list. In this year’s annual rankings, UMPI was named among the 30 Best Regional Colleges in the North, the 15 Top Public Schools in the North, and the top 3 Regional Colleges in the North for graduates with least debt.

Prepare for triple the laughs when hometown favorite Ryan Gartley takes the stage—with two fellow comedians in tow—for a fundraising comedy show at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14 at University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Auditorium in Wieden Hall. UMPI is partnering with Taco Bell to present this special show. Proceeds will benefit future renovations to the Auditorium in Wieden Hall.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Art Gallery will present UnREEDable Words, an exhibit featuring works on paper by Todd Camplin, from August 28 through October 6, 2017. The public is invited to view the exhibition throughout the show’s run and attend the Gallery Reception on Friday, September 1, from 5-7 p.m., which is being held in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host writer and UMPI alumna Alice Bolstridge for the launch of her new chapbook of poetry “Chance & Choice” on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m., in the Campus Center. This event is free and the public is invited to attend; light refreshments will be served and attendees are encouraged to stop by early for a short social time starting at 5:45 p.m.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Wintergreen Arts Center are teaming up again to present one of The County’s most unique and fun-filled 5K fundraisers—the Fifth Annual Color Presque Isle 5K, where participants dress in white and get showered with colored powder throughout the course. The event, which serves as a benefit for arts programming in Presque Isle, will be held on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 9 a.m. starting at Riverside Park. Registration begins at 8 a.m.