The University of Maine System is projecting the highest overall student enrollment in more than a decade.
Maine
Morning Star - Maine’s universities are enrolling more international
students for the fifth year in a row, defying the national trend of higher
education enrollment declines.
The biggest reason for the growth is the 250% increase in
international students enrolled online, according to preliminary data from Fall
2026. An overwhelming majority of those students will never attend Maine’s
public universities in person and thus are not impacted by President Donald
Trump administration’s crackdown on foreign students and immigration.
From imposing fees for post-degree practical training to
reducing the duration of international students’ visas and, in some cases, to
students with valid visas facing arrest and detention by federal agents, the
administration’s policies have resulted in fewer foreign students enrolling in
U.S. colleges and universities, according to national data.
But in Maine, the popularity of online programs and the
steady stream of students from Canada have allowed the state’s public
universities to start the semester with 1,169 international students — the
highest in five years — while overall enrollment also grows across all seven
campuses. Canadian students, who can attend Maine’s public universities at the
in-state tuition rate, account for 393 of the total. Roughly 500 foreign
students are pursuing fully online degrees.
Maine Senate Democratic Campaign Committee - Our Democratic majority in the Maine Senate has fought to protect public education, and we've worked hard to make sure all Maine families have a chance to thrive here. This past session, we:
✏️ Funded universal free school
lunches
✏️ Made community college
permanently free
✏️ Guaranteed $50,000 minimum
teacher salaries
...and so much more. But as the
school year kicks off, the stakes of this election get even higher. Our
three-seat majority is our thinnest in more than a decade.
WBLM - Just how rural is Maine? According to the popular pop culture site America's Health Rankings, it’s very rural. In fact, the site claims Maine is the second most rural state, only trailing Vermont. The site based its findings on metrics from the U.S. Census.
According to the U.S. Census
classifies any rural area as any region outside of an urban area. An urban area
is defined as a region with 50,000 people or more, or what’s known as an urban
cluster—an area with a population between 2,500 and 49,999.
Maine’s rural population makes up
61.5% of the total. That is an absolutely huge number. Like I said earlier,
Vermont leads the way in the report, with a rural population of a balmy 66.1%.
The rest of the top five isn’t
surprising: West Virginia, Mississippi, and Montana are all states you’d expect
to see on the list.
JOBS
- U-Haul International, Inc. posted a job opening for Storage Facility Housekeeper in Brunswick. Apply here.
- Albertsons Companies, Inc. posted a job opening for Night Crew Stocker in Brunswick. Apply here.
- You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.
UPCOMING
Wolfe’s Neck Center calendar
Freeport Farmers Market - Saturdays now through October: Through October 8:30am – 12:30pm at the BTLT Saturday Farmers Market at Crystal Spring Farm. 277 Pleasant Hill Road, Brunswick. The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. Farmers Market was established in 1999 to advance the Land Trust’s mission of supporting local agriculture. With over forty vendors, many of whom have been with the Market since its inception, the Saturday morning market offers a variety of local, fresh produce
SEP 2
Cook’s Lobster & Ale House, 68 Garrison Cove Rd., Bailey Island: Travis James Humprey, 5-8
Improving Fish Passage at the Brunswick Dam – Panel Discussion. Free the Andro is hosting a panel discussion to explore restoring abundant and sustainable fish passage at the Brunswick Dam. Tuesday, September 15, from 5 to 6 p.m at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick
Maine Biz - L.L.Bean will mark the reopening of its Freeport flagship store with a month-long series of concerts and events. The store has undergone a $50 million makeover led by Freeport-based Zachau Construction. The 120,000-square-foot store is expected to open in September, with the grand opening set for Sept. 18-20.
Events will include cameos from Boston Red Sox and Portland Hearts of Pine players, as well as the Wallflowers, the band led by Jacob Dylan that rose to prominence in the 1990s with hits like “One Headlight” and “6th Avenue Heartache.”
Events will include a grand-opening weekend, Sept. 18-20, featuring an outdoor concert with country star Kip Moore.
A so-called heritage weekend, Sept. 25-27, will feature a vintage product drop and repairs for “well-loved” apparel.
A fall festival, slated for Oct. 2-4, will feature local makers, artists, music and food, presented by Visit Freeport.
A makers weekend, Oct. 9-11, will feature demonstrations by L.L.Bean artisans at work.
The annual pumpkin festival, Oct. 16-18, will include thousands of jack-o’-lanterns as well as fall crafts, treats and activities, presented by Camp Sunshine.
Events culminate with hometown weekend, Oct. 23-25, featuring players from the Boston Red Sox and Portland Hearts of Pine. The Friday night concert will spotlight Jacob Dylan and the Wallflowers.
L.L.Bean, founded in Freeport in 1912, operates 65 stores in 19 states, along with 25 stores in Japan and 14 stores in Canada.
Twin Keys: A Love Story: Thomas Wolf with Jessica Chow Shinn and Michael Shinn, duo-pianists 2 P