Maine’s community colleges have seen 16 percent growth in enrollment this fall.
There are 19,477 students enrolled in the state’s seven community colleges, up from 16,792 last fall, according to the Maine Community College System.
That enrollment surpasses the previous record of 17,911 set in 2011.
“At a time when Maine desperately needs more skilled workers and Mainers need good jobs to support themselves and their families, we’re extremely pleased to see enrollment increase so significantly,” David Daigler, president of the community college system, said in a Wednesday statement.
The community college system attributed that growth in enrollment to the state’s free tuition program, expanded nursing programs and eased COVID-19 restrictions.
Maine has offered free tuition to community colleges to high-schoolers who graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic. That program was extended this year to students graduating in 2024 and 2025.
Of those students enrolled in Maine’s community colleges, 61 percent qualified for the free tuition program. That includes 3,668 new students and 4,518 returning students.
“The impact of the Free College Scholarship is impressive,” Daigler said.
The growth in enrollment includes more than 700 short-term workforce students who moved into degree programs.
Only one community college — Northern Maine Community College — saw enrollment decline this fall. Enrollment there fell 1 percent. The biggest bump was at Washington County Community College, where enrollment rose 36 percent.