Highlights from the 2012-13 RSP Annual Report: The RSP provided more than $53 million in ...]]> NEBHEs Regional Student Program (RSP), known as Tuition Break, provided more than $53 million in tuition savings this academic year to 9,338 participating students, according to the recently published 2012-13 Annual Report of the New England Regional Student Program (RSP).

The New England Board of Higher Education’s program provided 9,293 New England residents with an estimated total savings of $53 million on their 2011-12 out-of-state tuition bills. The average savings for a full-time RSP student ...]]> This academic year marks the third consecutive year of record-high enrollments in the New England Regional Student Program (RSP), Tuition Break.

The New England Board of Higher Education’s program provided 9,293 New England residents with an estimated total savings of $53 million on their 2011-12 out-of-state tuition bills. The average savings for a full-time RSP student was $6,900. Meanwhile, the region’s public colleges received nearly $62 million in 2011-12 tuition revenue from incoming RSP students.

Enrollment at bachelor’s degree-granting institutions accounted for 51% of this year’s RSP enrollment, and increased by 4% over last year. The 10 most popular RSP bachelor’s degree programs in 2011-12 were: biomedical engineering, pharmacy, hospitality and tourism management, visual arts, criminology and criminal justice, recreation management, zoology, communications/media, marine sciences and legal studies.

In all, more than 700 undergraduate and graduate degree programs are made available under the RSP by New England’s 80 public colleges and universities, many of them in specialized and high-demand fields of study.

The 2011-12 Annual RSP Report, just released by NEBHE, provides data on RSP enrollment and tuition revenue and savings by state, institution and program.

Wendy A. Lindsay is senior director of NEBHE's Tuition Break (Regional Student Program).

The University of Maine's state-of-the-art Advanced Structures and Composites Center (AEWC) was awarded the Charles Pankow Award for Innovation by the American Society for Civil Engineering for its whimsically titled "Bridge-in-a-Backpack" technology. The technology allows builders to pack in duffel bags materials used to build arches for bridge spans and carry them to a construction ...]]>

The University of Maine's state-of-the-art Advanced Structures and Composites Center (AEWC) was awarded the Charles Pankow Award for Innovation by the American Society for Civil Engineering for its whimsically titled "Bridge-in-a-Backpack" technology. The technology allows builders to pack in duffel bags materials used to build arches for bridge spans and carry them to a construction site. They can then build a bridge in a matter of days instead of weeks.

The AEWC, which has earned numerous awards since opening in 2000, engages about 100 undergraduate and graduate students each year from various academic disciplines in cutting-edge research projects related to public infrastructure, construction and homeland security, as well as an offshore wind laboratory.

For example, students enrolled in the University of Maine’s Wood Science and Technology bachelor’s degree program have the opportunity to participate in AEWC research, such as the use of wood composites in blast- and earthquake-resistant buildings.

The bachelor's program is the only one of its kind offered by New England public higher education institutions, and students who are residents of the five other New England states are eligible to pay lower tuition under NEBHE's Regional Student Program (RSP) Tuition Break.

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine announced the “Best Values in Public Colleges 2011," its annual ranking of 100 public colleges and universities in the U.S.

Four New England institutions are on the list: the University of Connecticut, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of New Hampshire and the University of Vermont. Among the 100 public colleges ...]]>

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine announced the “Best Values in Public Colleges 2011," its annual ranking of 100 public colleges and universities in the U.S.

Four New England institutions are on the list: the University of Connecticut, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of New Hampshire and the University of Vermont. Among the 100 public colleges in terms of value for state residents, UConn ranks 32nd;  UVM, 72nd; UMass Amherst, 83rd; and UNH, 93rd.

For out-of-state students, UConn ranks 36th; UMass Amherst, 59th; UVM, 83rd; and UNH, 94th.

Kiplinger's bases the rankings on a combination of academics and affordability, using data from more than 500 public four-year schools, provided by Peterson's/Nelnet and its own research. Kiplinger's says it uses measurable criteria, such as student-faculty ratios, admission rates, on-time graduation rate, sticker price and financial aid awarded, to develop the rankings.

Wendy A. Lindsay is senior director of NEBHE's Tuition Break (Regional Student Program).

The University of Maine at Augusta found a new niche for its online program in Information and Library Services thousands of miles away in Micronesia.

UMA has partnered with Palau Community College to bring its bachelor’s program to students in Micronesia.

UMA is also helping the community college build an online format for its associate degree program ...]]>

The University of Maine at Augusta found a new niche for its online program in Information and Library Services thousands of miles away in Micronesia.

UMA has partnered with Palau Community College to bring its bachelor’s program to students in Micronesia.

UMA is also helping the community college build an online format for its associate degree program to make it more accessible to residents of the thousands of islands that make up Micronesia. The first Palaun students will enroll in the 2011 spring semester.

UMA’s program is flexible and affordable. Classes are offered asynchronistically, students can access them when convenient, and tuition is low: only $260 per credit hour for out-of-state students. UMA’s program is the only one of its kind in New England and one of only a few in the U.S.

For information on the program, visit http://www.uma.edu/ilspgm.html.

Business professionals interested in learning how to better identify and manage financial risk can turn to a new master’s program in Financial Risk Management at the University of Connecticut.

The program's location in Stamford, Conn., provides students with the opportunity to interact with finance professionals in Stamford and New York. Not only that, residents of Maine, ...]]>

Business professionals interested in learning how to better identify and manage financial risk can turn to a new master’s program in Financial Risk Management at the University of Connecticut.

The program's location in Stamford, Conn., provides students with the opportunity to interact with finance professionals in Stamford and New York. Not only that, residents of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont are eligible to pay a reduced out-of-state tuition rate for the program.

UConn’s program is unique among New England public colleges and universities, so it has approval under the New England Board of Higher Education’s Tuition Break, the Regional Student Program (RSP).  A New England resident enrolled full-time in the program this year would save an estimated $8,400 in annual tuition. For information on other graduate programs approved under NEBHE's Tuition Break, view the  2011-12 RSP Tuition Break Graduate Catalog.