Education Grants | Harold Alfond Foundation

Education

Education Grants

Every person should aspire to and have access to higher education

That’s what my main goal is: to educate the young so that they’ll stay here in Maine, work here, make a good living, and bring their families up.

Harold Alfond (September 14, 2007)

Harold Alfond believed that every person in the 21st century should aspire to and have access to higher education. Over the course of his lifetime, he supported many educational causes.

He understood that higher education attainment is necessary to build a skilled workforce, and a skilled workforce is indispensable to economic prosperity.

Today, the Foundation furthers this goal through capital, endowment, scholarship, and programmatic grants, primarily to public and private colleges and universities. Such grants are designed to enhance the student experience, from pre-k to adult learners, and to ensure an educational institution’s long-term growth, sustainability, and prosperity. Respecting Mr. Alfond’s love of sports, the Foundation continues to support athletic facilities and programs.

Selected Education Grants

Harold Alfond College Challenge: The Foundation’s signature grant program, the Harold Alfond College Challenge awards a $500 grant to every Maine resident baby for education beyond high school. This program represents a long‐term strategy by the Foundation to increase aspirations and access to higher education among Maine’s young people. Read more about the Harold Alfond College Challenge and My Alfond Grant.

In addition to the above, the Foundation has made major Education grants for the following:

  • To build athletic facilities for public and private colleges and universities and private secondary schools in the State of Maine, including: 
    • Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, Alfond Ice Arena, Alfond Outdoor Track, Harold Alfond Athletic Center, and Harold Alfond Stadium at Colby College
    • Alfond Hockey Arena, Shawn Walsh Hockey Center, and Harold Alfond Sports Stadium at the University of Maine
    • Harold Alfond Student Recreation Center at St. Joseph’s College
    • Harold Alfond Diamond at the Winkin Sports Complex at Husson College
    • Alfond Athletic Center at Thomas College
    • Alfond Athletic Center and Alfond Athletic Fields at Kents Hill School
    • Harold Alfond Forum at the University of New England 
  • To assist the Maine Community College System in purchasing 13 buildings and 600 acres at Good Will-Hinckley to enable Kennebec Valley Community College to serve an additional 1,500 to 2,000 students; and in launching new workforce development initiatives to help Maine’s workers earn the credentials needed to find employment or advance in their careers.
  • To support the operations of Good Will-Hinckley’s Maine Academy of Natural Sciences, a natural sciences-themed high school and Maine’s first charter school.
  • To enhance and expand Jobs for Maine’s Graduates’ continuum of support for disadvantaged middle school, high school, and college students in Maine.
  • To create the University of Maine Graduate and Professional Center for studies in law, business and public policy in partnership with the University of Maine System.
  • To create the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation, which offers paid internships and professional development training, certificates, and academic programming to students and area businesses and employees.
  • To support construction of Harold Alfond Hall, the new College of Business building for Husson University, Maine’s fastest growing business educator.