In the budget signed by Gov. Janet Mills (D) Tuesday, Maine’s free community college program was extended to include students set to receive a high school diploma or equivalent in 2024 and 2025.
This expansion represents a roughly $15 million investment for the state.
This program was initially intended to aid students who had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic when it was approved by the Legislature last year.
During the first wave of the program, approximately 6,400 students are estimated to have attended community college in Maine tuition-free.
“Extending Free College to the Classes of 2024 and 2025 tells today’s high school students that the State of Maine believes in them and is willing to invest in them and their future,” said Maine Community College System President David Daigler in a statement released Tuesday.
The various costs covered by the state-sponsored scholarship program equates to approximately $3,800 a year per student.
The program covers up to two years of education at one of Maine’s community colleges.
Students who graduated high school out of state, as well as those who are noncitizens, are eligible for the program according to the Maine Community Colleges website.
For More of the Maine Wire’s Coverage of the Free Community College Program, Check Out These Stories:
Maine’s Taxpayer-Funded Community Colleges Are Recruiting “Noncitizens” for Free Scholarships
Maine’s Media Ignores Taxpayer-Funded Community College Free Rides for Noncitizens
Mills $10.3 Billion Budget Increases Spending on Health Care, Infrastructure, and Education
