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Doug Binsfeld is the president of Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle.
Over the past year, as the new president of Northern Maine Community College, I have had the opportunity to meet with students, families, and employers across our region. In those conversations, one truth emerged consistently: Our students are capable, motivated, and eager to build meaningful careers. What has too often stood in their way is not ambition, but affordability.
Even at Maine’s community colleges, where tuition is intentionally kept low, the cost of higher education can still feel out of reach for many Mainers. Students in northern Maine balance work, family responsibilities, and financial uncertainty. Many help support their households. Some hesitate to enroll because they cannot justify taking on debt or adding financial strain to their families.
The Maine Free College Scholarship is helping change that reality.
By covering 100 percent of tuition for eligible Maine students, the program removes one of the most significant barriers to higher education: cost. Structured as a last-dollar scholarship, it applies after federal and state aid, making it both effective and fiscally responsible. On average, it fills a remaining gap of about $1,600 per student, an amount that can determine whether a student enrolls or postpones college altogether.
At Northern Maine Community College, we see the impact of this investment every day. Sarah, a business administration student from Aroostook County, shared with me, “If I didn’t have the scholarship for tuition, I would not be able to afford to attend.”
Sarah’s experience reflects the reality for many students across northern Maine. Cost does more than create a financial barrier; it creates a psychological one. When tuition is covered, our students can finally see college as a real option, empowering them to pursue their education and prepare for careers that strengthen Maine’s workforce.
With the Maine Free College Scholarship, our students have begun to imagine futures that once felt out of reach. Since the program began in 2022, more than 22,000 Maine students have turned that possibility into reality by enrolling in college. Thousands have already graduated, transferred to four-year institutions, or entered the workforce in high-demand fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, business, and the skilled trades. Many of our graduates are building their lives and careers here in Maine, strengthening our communities and helping employers meet critical workforce needs.
This is especially important in rural regions like northern Maine, where workforce shortages and geographic isolation present real challenges to us. The Maine Free College Scholarship helps students take that first step, gain valuable skills, and build careers close to home, while ensuring employers have access to the workforce they need.
The Maine Free College Scholarship is not simply an education policy. It is a workforce strategy, an economic development strategy, and a long-term investment in Maine’s future. It helps students access opportunity, supports employers, and strengthens the economic foundation of our state.
As policymakers consider the future of this program, sustaining the Maine Free College Scholarship must remain a priority to ensure Maine’s workforce and economy remain strong. This investment is transforming lives, supporting employers, and building the talent pipeline Maine needs to compete and prosper.
By sustaining this investment, we affirm a simple truth: talent exists in every corner of Maine. When education is within reach, students, communities, and our entire state become stronger.