Due to over enrollment, the Maine Aspirations Program is cutting the number of tuition free college credits high school students can earn.
Lydia Savage, President of The Associated Faculties of the Universities of Maine labor union, said due to high enrollment, the amount universities are paid per student has gone down significantly.
"When we started the program, the universities in the Maine system were paid something like $155 per concurrent credit hour by the state and now we get only about $60 per credit hour," Savage said.
More than 10,000 Maine high school students enrolled in college classes last year and were allowed to earn up to 12 credits per year.
Beginning with the class of 2027, students will be limited to a lifetime total of 18 credits, unless more funding is provided to reimburse the universities.
Savage said the program has been so popular that it now needs more funding than the $5.5 million allocated by the legislature.
"This is a program that works really well, that's had flat funding, and we just would like to see a bigger investment," Savage said.
Savage testified before a legislative committee last week asking lawmakers to increase the money allocated for the program by $2 million to meet student demand.
