The Mitchell Institute celebrated 30 years of giving scholarships to Maine students on Friday night. The institute says supporting higher education now is more important than ever.
“You’d be surprised how much a few thousand dollars can make the difference between them staying in college or even choosing to go to college,” said Casey Near, the institute’s scholarship director.
Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell created the scholarship in 1995 to increase education opportunities. According to the institute, students who are selected for the scholarship receive $10,000. One student is selected from every public high school in the state.
“It’s been such a source of support for me,” said Mitchell Scholar Malak Alkattea.
The Mitchell Institute said it has helped more than 4,000 students since its inception. They also say they’ve donated nearly $30 million in 30 years.
“I honestly never thought I would get this scholarship. I was very shocked when I got it,” said Mitchell Scholar Lily Bailey. “It’s been such a great opportunity for me.”
The anniversary comes at a time when some funding in the state is going away. The Trump administration is pulling hundreds of thousands of dollars from two University of Maine campuses. Maine’s free college scholarship is also set to end with the class of 2025.
“College is expensive, I think we all know that,” Near said. “Any little bit that we can do to help to close that gap and pave the way to make it more accessible, it’s going to change the game for so many students.”
To top off the evening’s celebration, $5 million was donated by The Crewe Foundation to help support students who hope to get this scholarship in the years to come.
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