LEWISTON —  University of Maine at Augusta’s Lewiston Center is offering the Osher New Beginnings Scholarship for the spring semester, to encourage more Maine people of all ages to give college a try.

Courses can be completed at the Lewiston Center as well as online.

The Osher Scholarship was established for first-time college students, or those who have not attended college in at least three years and have completed 30 or fewer successful credit hours. An Osher Scholarship will cover the cost of tuition, fees and books for one course. Students do not need to be accepted to a degree program to be eligible to receive the scholarship.

The scholarship is available through UMA centers statewide. With eight local centers in communities across Maine, UMA offers students the convenience of staying close to home while studying for a degree, often helping them to balance family and work responsibilities. It has been a solution for adults who hold some college credits, but who left before completing their degree, or those with no college background who now wish to take that step forward.

“Osher Scholarships are available for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 25,” said Jim Bradley, UMA Lewiston director, in a news release.  “It is important that students apply now while the grant is readily available. The application process is quick and easy, and an advisor is here to answer questions and help people get started.”

The scholarship is possible by a gift made in 2000 from The Bernard Osher Foundation.

For more information about the scholarships, contact UMA Lewiston at 207-753-6600 or umalewiston@maine.edu.