Article by Yaerin Wallenberger We all know that Maine is a great place to go to college, but maybe you’re looking for a new adventure as you apply to colleges. If you’re looking for a fun and affordable college experience in one of the other five New England states, I have great news for you! The New England Regional Students Program (RSP) is an agreement between public colleges in New England that lets you apply to programs outside of Maine, and get a significant tuition break in the process. Today, we’ll dive a little deeper into how the RSP works, so that you can have the best of New England at your fingertips when you apply to college. What sorts of programs does RSP offer?RSP offers both associate (two-year) degrees and bachelor’s (four-year) degrees. Within each degree, you can study basically anything you can imagine. For students like you whose home state is Maine, you could choose any of over two hundred associate programs and over two hundred and fifty bachelor’s programs. Particularly if the UMaine system doesn’t offer a program you’re interested in, RSP could be great for you. Have no idea what sorts of programs you’re interested in yet? Check out this past article on ideas for what you could major in! How much of a tuition break can I get through rsp?On average, RSP students get $8,200 off their college tuition, although the individual amount varies based on the specific college and program you’re applying to. So instead of paying the yearly average of $19,000 that out-of-state students would otherwise pay to attend a New England public college, you’d be paying something more like $9,800 a year. $9,800 a year still sounds like a lot. Can RSP students also fill out the Fafsa?You betcha! You’re encouraged to fill out the FAFSA so that you can make the experience even more affordable. For tips on filling out your FAFSA, you can check out some of our past newsletters. Wow, this all sounds great, and I'd like to get started right now!If you already have ideas about what state, degree, or program you want to pursue, you can try using the New England Board Of Higher Education (NEBHE) interactive search tool to look for colleges that fit your interests. Once you find a college and program that interests you, you can get ready to submit an application to that college. I'm excited, but I still have questions. Where can I find more info?The NEBHE website is the single best place to look, particularly at the Frequently Asked Questions page and the Maine residents page. In addition, each participating college will have a page of their own about the RSP, so if you have specific colleges in mind, it’s also great to look at those. Finally, if you’d prefer to hear someone talk about the RSP instead of just reading about it, NEBHE has a YouTube channel.
If you have any questions, or are excited to talk about any of the RSP-eligible colleges you’re considering, feel free to leave a comment down below, or to shoot an email to me or to any of the other Maine College Circle members. Now, go forth and conquer New England (in the most academic way possible)!
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