At Central Maine Community College in Auburn Friday, Gov. Janet Mills touted her plan to provide up to two free years of community college for high school graduates. Her proposal - first announced during her state of the state address Thursday night - aims to fill a workforce shortage in Maine while providing relief to students unable to afford higher education. But the plan would come with a significant price tag and require legislative approval.
Under Mills' plan, high school graduates from the classes of 2020 through 2023 who enroll in community college this fall or next would be eligible for free tuition. It's expected to benefit about 8,000 students. And Mills says it will also benefit the economy.
"Making community college free will not only connect students with good paying jobs after they graduate, it'll help to solve Maine's longstanding workforce shortage," Mills says.
A shortage that comes at a time when more people are migrating into the state and increasing the demand for skilled labor, from child care to construction. The CEO of HE Callahan Construction in Auburn, Christine Kendall says the commercial construction industry is booming but the supply of workers isn't.
"We need more skilled workers to join our industry, and we're ready to hire them right now," she says.
And as industries are desperately seeking skilled workers, Maine's Community College System is seeking students. After a 6% boost in enrollment in 2019, the system saw an overall decline of 11% through 2021. President David Daigler says many students stepped away from the classroom during the pandemic and they need financial help to return.
'What's happened is those lower income families, who this program will benefit the most, those lower income families have withdrawn from higher education. They found it very difficult to manage their way through the pandemic," Daigler says. "And so this is a tool to help them get back, get traction, and get back into the economy."
Though two free years of community college would benefit lower income students the most, the program would be open to all Maine residents who graduate from high school within the designated four-year timeframe, as well as non-residents who commit to living and working in the state. Students would also have to be enrolled full time for either a one-year certificate program or a two-year associate degree. The bulk of Maine's community college students -about 70% - are part time. But Daigler says there's a reason for requiring full-time enrollment.
"We have national studies all over the place that say if a student attends full time, a student is much more likely to graduate. And that's really the goal. Is to get them a degree and get them into the workforce and get them productive."
Emma Thorburn, who is studying building construction technology at Central Maine Community College is due to graduate this spring, so she wouldn't benefit from the proposal if it passes. But she still thinks it's a good idea to promote proper skills.
"Especially people in this trade don't think that they need to come to college and they can go right to the job site," she says. "So if they come here, they can learn how to do things right, how to code so they can do things safely."
The estimated price tag of Mills' plan is $20 million and it requires approval from the legislature. Even if it passes, the long-term viability of the plan is unclear. Governor Mills says the success of the program would be evaluated first before deciding whether to extend it.
