$2,000 of Debt Forgiven for Hundreds of Students in Maine

The relief comes from leftover federal money originally meant for the school's infrastructure

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This week, more than 730 students attending University of Southern Maine received a notice that an average of $2,100 would be forgiven from their tuition bill.

The school used $2 million dollars from a federal COVID-19 relief program called the Higher Education Relief Act. Originally intended to improve the HVAC systems of the school, the amount left over was used to provide relief to students.

According to President Glenn Cummings, the school looked at which students accrued noticeable sums over the last 24 months, and targeted the relief towards them.

One of Cummings' hopes with the relief is that students who had to drop out of school will return to finish their degrees.

"Part of this is to say 'Come on back, we're gonna forgive those loans so you can complete your education'. Because that's going to have a return that is immeasurable."

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