Maine Community College System

College and university presidents were addressing lawmakers when the news of the funding freeze broke.

School officials attribute much of the growth to Maine's free college program.

The Maine Community College System has given out more than $10 million to students through the Free College initiative. That's just over half of the $20 million the legislature allocated for the effort.

Under a measure passed by the legislature earlier this year, the system is studying the feasibility of boosting on-campus housing options for students. A report to legislators is due by Dec. 6.

The new spending bill expands the free community college program to the high school classes of 2024 and 2025. Students are eligible for two years of free tuition.

The increase follows passage of a $20 million initiative to provide free tuition and fees for recent high school graduates

While Maine's public universities are seeing fewer new students this fall, some of Maine's private colleges say enrollment is rebounding as they return to a more normal school year.

According to the Maine Community College System, new applications for the fall are up 11% across the state, compared to the same time a year ago.

The state and Maine's two largest healthcare systems are investing $5 million in Maine's Community College System to increase programming capacity to double the number of nurses that graduate each year.

Maine's Community College System is promising to help equip some students with computers and, in some cases, internet connectivity. The community colleges…