Senator Collins Meets with UMaine Presque Isle Upward Bound Students in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Senator Susan Collins met with a group of 17 students who are participating in the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Upward Bound Program in her Washington, D.C., office.  The students, as well as program coordinator Danette Madore, went on a tour of the U.S. Capitol.

“It is always a pleasure to welcome Maine students to our nation’s capital,” said Senator Collins.  “TRIO Programs offer life-changing academic and supportive services to countless students in Maine and across the country.  I have long supported TRIO Programs and I will continue to work to ensure that they are reaching the students who most need them.”

As the co-chair of the Congressional TRIO Caucus, Senator Collins has consistently worked to preserve these important programs.  In June, Senators Collins and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced legislation that would reauthorize the federal TRIO Programs through 2025 and make key reforms to make it easier to enroll students in the TRIO programs.

One of the provisions in Senator Collins’ bill would permanently prevent the situation the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) faced in 2017 when the Department of Education threatened to deny its application for Upward Bound due to a minor formatting issue. Senator Collins successfully urged the Department of Education to reverse its decision, protecting funding for UMPI.  

Nationwide, TRIO Programs help ensure that underserved students have equal access to a college education and the support they need to prepare for, succeed in, and graduate from higher education.  There are currently 28 TRIO Programs in Maine that serve 7,415 students, up from 6,690 in 2007. 

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