Scholarships Directly Help Students Reach their Academic Goals
December 2, 2009
Consider making your Annual Fund donation in support of the Campaign for Scholarships!
USM is dedicated to providing students with a high-quality, accessible and affordable education. We have launched the Campaign for Scholarships so that students will be able to work less, study more, and have time to participate in activities that enrich their educational experience. This campaign is especially important at a time when students carry on average a debt load of $25,000.
View the Campaign for Scholarships video to learn more. Consider making your Annual Fund donation in support of the Campaign for Scholarships. Donate Now!
Two piano performance majors in USM’s School of Music, Michal Harris and Will Bristol, eloquently demonstrate how their scholarships have allowed them to rely less on after-school jobs, enabling them to spend more time on their studies and in the practice studios.
“Coming to USM has really developed me as a musician,” says Michal Harris, a senior piano performance major from Brunswick studying with Professor of Music Laura Kargul. Michal performed in USM’s 2007 and 2009 Honors Recitals. She attended the Bay Chamber Music Festival and the MasterWorks Music Festival. “When I received the Augur Scholarship I was elated. It meant I could spend those hours in the practice room. It’s been a big blessing to me and a big help.” Those hours of additional practice the scholarship afforded Michal have paid off. She is now a self-employed piano teacher sharing her passion with Maine’s future musicians as well as serving as the accompanist for the Brunswick Oratorio Chorale and the USM Chorale.
“It’s really essential to have a scholarship because it takes a lot of hard work —a lot of practice,” says Will Bristol, also an Augur Scholarship recipient and a piano performance major who also studies with Professor Kargul. Will, of Freeport, knows what hard work means. He began piano lessons at the age of nine, won numerous competitions in Maine, including the Bangor Symphony High School Concerto Competition, the Ocy Downs Piano Competition, the Pine Tree State Competition and two of the Bay Chamber Young Star Awards. At the tender age of 17, this USM freshman made his concerto debut with orchestra this October with the Bangor Symphony. Thanks to the Dr. and Mrs. Newell A. Augur Jr. Scholarship for the School of Music, he’ll be able to continue his work in the practice room and on stage.
Both Will and Michal were slated to perform in the USM School of Music’s Holiday Scholarship Gala on Friday, December 4. This entertaining, unique evening combines good food, excellent music and a live auction, all to raise money for School of Music scholarships.
Tuitions and fees at USM are currently $8,174 for Maine residents and $20,384 for non-residents. Add $1,200 for books and supplies and another $8,762 for room and board. USM is still a great value compared to private colleges, but it still presents a significant financial challenge for too many students. Supporting the Campaign for Scholarships will ease the financial burdens of our students, giving them greater opportunity to realize the benefits of an outstanding education at the University of Southern Maine.
