Members of the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee have unanimously voted against a Democrat-led proposal to make community college free for all Maine residents — a benefit that was introduced as an extraordinary, COVID-related measure three years ago.
To qualify for the proposed program, students would need to (1) enroll in an associate degree, diploma, or certificate program at a participating institution, (2) live in Maine for the duration of their enrollment, and (3) accept all available sources of funding offered to them.
For these students, the payment of all tuition and mandatory fees would be waived. Once granted, a waiver would be valid for up to twice the stated completion time for a given student’s program of study.
Beginning on January 1, 2027, the community college system would have been required to submit a report to the Governor, Education Committee, and Appropriations Committee detailing the “status of the program.”
This bill was sponsored by Rep. Holly T. Sargent (D-York) and cosponsored by a number of other Democratic lawmakers, including members of the party’s legislative leadership.
Had this bill been approved, it would have effectively made permanent a program that has been in place on a temporary basis for the past several years and was originally intended to aid students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
First adopted by lawmakers in 2022, the COVID-19 era program upon which this proposal was based allowed those who graduated high school in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 to attend Maine’s community colleges tuition-free.
This benefit was recently extended, however, to include students who graduated from high school in 2024 and 2025, representing a roughly $15 million investment by the state.
During the first wave of the program, approximately 6,400 students were estimated to have attended community college in Maine tuition-free.
It is unclear exactly how much it would have cost the state annually to make this program a permanent facet of Maine’s community college system.
According to Coursera, 33 states — including Maine — currently offer some form of tuition-free community college education, although the degree to which these benefits are restricted varies from place to place.
For example, some states may stipulate that students must pursue a degree in a particular subject in order to qualify, while others may require that graduates work in the state for at least so many years after graduation.
LD 1118 would likely have made Maine’s free community college program one of the least restrictive in the country.
Because the Committee’s report was unanimous, this proposal will not be considered any further this session unless legislators take extraordinary action.
If community collage was free how would the administration skim off the top? or the dems get kick-backs?
I would hope that members of an “ education “ committee would be smart enough to know that nothing is free . It’s a simple concept that even simpletons understand . I’m sure it was a plan by democrats to add another tax to the Maine taxpayers.. Democrats are always simpletons when it comes to anything that costs money .
I essentially make about $9,000-$13,000 every month on the web. It’s sufficient to serenely supplant my old employments pay, particularly considering I just work around 10-13 hours every week from home. I was stunned how simple it was after I attempted it duplicate underneath web…..
Begin here>>>>>>>>> Tinyurl.com/moredollar12
If community college became free, Maine would find itself paying for people taking newly created two-year degrees in “Gender Studies” or “Art History” instead of badly needed vocational education. Free community college would only work if it collaborated with businesses who need the job skills provided by the graduates.