PRESQUE ISLE — Beginning in the Fall of 2015, students attending the Maine School of Science and Mathematics will be able to take advantage of the most comprehensive early-college pathway in Maine, potentially completing enough college-level coursework to earn an associate’s degree in liberal studies from the University of Maine at Presque Isle in addition to a high school diploma.

At $15 per credit hour, the 64-credit associate’s degree could cost students and their families less than $1,000, a 93 percent savings over the traditional cost of a similar course load for Maine residents attending UMPI, according to a press release.

UMPI President Linda Schott and MSSM Executive Director Luke Shorty held a signing ceremony on Feb. 27 in UMPI’s Alumni Room, finalizing an articulation agreement that establishes Maine’s fastest and most affordable path to a college diploma.

The dual-degree agreement will provide MSSM students with approximately 50 course equivalencies worth more than 150 college credits, providing some of Maine’s most promising students a first-of-its-kind head start at earning an affordable bachelor’s degree.

This new agreement was the result of a rigorous review of MSSM’s academic portfolio, including faculty qualifications, course syllabi and texts. More than 40 MSSM courses were deemed to be equivalent in content, rigor, and instructional credentials to UMPI courses and faculty qualifications, paving the way for the awarding of college credit, the press release said.