FARMINGTON — Looking for a head start at college? This summer the University of Maine at Farmington is offering tuition-free Early College courses to eligible high school students in Maine.

Early College is a program through a partnership with the Maine Department of Education that allows high school and home schooled students to earn college credits and initiate a college transcript while still in high school.

With all Farmington summer classes currently online, this Early College opportunity helps students make the most of their summer while getting access to quality courses that will help prepare them for the next steps in their education.

Emma Charles, Mt. Blue High School sophomore, is currently taking the Dig-It-All! Community Gardening topics in English course and values the important life skill of being held accountable for class work and deadlines.

“I became interested in the Early College classes because I wanted to experience a higher level of learning with the support of my family,” said Charles. “Taking one course allows me to see what college is like without the added stress of taking multiple classes at a time. The class dynamic is collaborative and I feel challenged to think at a higher level than with high school classes.”

The program at Farmington waives the tuition for May, Summer and August courses totaling up to 8 credits. Most UMF online courses are 2-4 credits.

Summer Session classes generally begin June 22; August Session Classes begin August 3. For course descriptions and additional details about these courses, visit: https://www.umf.maine.edu/admissions-aid/early-college-courses/.

While tuition is free, there is a Unified Fee for instruction-related technologies, including online access to resources in the University’s Mantor Library. The fee structure is $90 for 1-6 credits, $179.50 for 7-11 credits.

For More information contact Clarissa Thompson, associate professor and UMF Early College campus coordinator at clarissa.thompson@maine.edu.