COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE OF AT AUGUSTA (UMA)
At the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA), veterans and active duty military personnel will find a wide range of courses, degrees, and services available to them at campuses in Augusta and Bangor, at eight statewide UMA Centers, and online.
Since the University’s founding in 1965, when a sign that read “Welcome Veterans” encouraged Vietnam-era Veterans to enroll, UMA has continued a tradition of supporting military-experienced students. Currently, UMA has over 200 students who are using federal education military and veteran benefits. UMA’s commitment to educating and providing opportunities to veterans, service members, and their families has earned it the following designations: Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs Magazine, and Best Online Bachelor’s Degrees for Veterans by U.S. News & World Report.
Popular programs for veterans include Aviation, Applied Science, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, and Cybersecurity. Earlier this year, UMA’s Private Pilot Training program was approved for Veteran benefits as appropriate. This means that eligible veterans can complete their flight courses from Private Pilot through Certified Flight Instructor with UMA. Most programs are available completely online, an area of expertise for which UMA is also recognized.
While delivering college courses online may be new for most institutions throughout the U.S., UMA has been a leader in distance and online education for more than 30 years. Online classes at UMA are facilitated with state-of-the-art videoconferencing software and a Learning Management System such as Brightspace. Many faculty members allow students who are not able to attend at the scheduled time to participate by viewing lectures recorded from class and collaborate with classmates to complete and share work.
UMA’s previous 30 years have demonstrated the vital role that technology can play in delivering education outside a traditional classroom, and thereby making education accessible to those who seek to obtain their degree while maintaining work and family commitments. As technology improves, so does the level of engagement between professors and students, as well as the ease of access.
When not completing courses online, the Veterans Academic Center (VAC) on the Augusta Campus and a Veterans’ Lounge on the Bangor Campus provide dedicated space for UMA’s veteran student population. These areas provide a safe environment and place for fellow veterans to seek and lend support to each other and interact with the UMA Office of Military and Veterans’ Services staff.
Amy Line is a UMA alum, adjunct faculty member, a Navy veteran, and Director of Military & Veteran Services at UMA. Line helps students navigate veteran benefits and resources, and was instrumental in securing the private grant funding allowing for the creation of the VAC and its opening in late 2017.
UMA will continue to pursue cutting-edge technologies and seek opportunities to provide high quality education and student support to veterans and others in fulfilling its mission of making higher education accessible to those in Maine and beyond.
Learn more at uma.edu/veterans.
