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International high school students now have an easier pathway to higher education, thanks to an agreement signed between the �Թϱ��� and various secondary schools in Maine and beyond.

�Թϱ��� has partnered with Thornton Academy in Saco and Casablanca American School in Casablanca, Morocco, to allow conditional acceptance for eligible graduates who apply to most of �Թϱ���’s academic programs.

To qualify as eligible for conditional acceptance, students must study at their respective schools for at least two years and maintain a 3.0 unweighted G.P.A. Additionally, English language proficiency tests will be waived for students who complete two years of schooling at their respective institutions. Qualifying graduates will receive merit scholarships of at least $17,000 per year.

Students who apply to �Թϱ���’s nursing and 3+4-degree pathway programs are not eligible for conditional acceptance.

“This agreement provides a clear map of what UNE requires for undergraduate admissions and takes some stress out of applying to college in a country that’s not your own,” remarked Perceval Inkpen, M.S., an admissions counselor at UNE who spearheaded the agreement. “For international students at Thornton Academy and in Casablanca, having that clarity and understanding goes a long way toward increasing access to higher education.”

Unique about the partnership with Casablanca American School is the ability for Moroccan foreign students to attend �Թϱ��� and go back to Morocco to study at the University’s campus in Tangier, which all �Թϱ��� students may do.

It is a partnership that allows for reciprocal, cross-cultural learning, said Anouar Majid, Ph.D., vice president for Global Affairs and director of the Center for Global Humanities at UNE.

“Given our presence in Tangier and the excellent relationship between Morocco and the United States, I think it would be valuable to Moroccan students attend �Թϱ��� in Maine and travel between our transatlantic campuses,” Majid reflected. “I am grateful to my colleagues in Admissions for helping make this happen, and I am hoping we can do more in the future.”

In addition to Thornton Academy and Casablanca American School, �Թϱ��� aims to partner with other schools in Maine and New England to offer conditional acceptance for international students.

“As we exit the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. is seeing a significant rebound in new international students,” said Scott Steinberg, MBA, vice president of University Admissions. “Working with our partner high schools in the U.S. and abroad, our goal is to increase access to a �Թϱ��� education for qualified international students.”