Staff Writer
AUGUSTA — The Maine Community College System board of trustees voted June 27 to keep tuition and fees at current levels for the coming academic year. The vote means that Maine’s seven community colleges will continue to have the lowest tuition and fees in New England. For a full-time student, the average cost to attend will remain at roughly $3,300 a year.
“Maine has the lowest income in New England,” said Kris Doody, MCCS board chair in announcing the vote. “Our vote today recognizes that for college to be accessible to Maine people, it needs to be affordable.”
For more than a decade, the MCCS board has sought to lower the costs of college for Maine students by holding the line on tuition increases. The recent vote represents the eighth time in 14 years that the board has voted to freeze tuition. As a result, Maine has moved from having the second highest tuition and fees in the country for community colleges to being far closer to the national average. By 2010-11, the state’s tuition and fees had dropped to 23rd in the nation, although they continue to remain above the national average of $3,122.
Maine’s seven community colleges serve over 18,500 students, an increase of 8,000 since transitioning from technical to community colleges less than a decade ago. According to MCCS President John Fitzsimmons, the growth is due — in large part — to the affordable educational pathway it offers students.
“At a time when Maine families and the state’s economy are struggling, it is critical that our colleges remain affordable so that people are able to get the skills that they need, and that our businesses require to prosper,” he said.
Timothy Crowley, NMCC president, said freezing tuition and fees in the Maine Community College System will insure that “we will remain in reach for Maine citizens.”
“As the costs of operation continue to increase it presents challenges for us; however, the benefit to our students is significant,” he said. “In this difficult economic time, freezing tuition and fees is just the right thing to do. The board has been very sensitive to the needs of our students. This action assures access to higher education at a time when the path to new job skills runs through higher education. The community college’s ability to provide relevant job training, as well as serve as an entry point for those looking for a four-year degree, helps Maine people achieve an education that can change their lives.
“Prospective students see NMCC as affordable and accessible,” said Crowley. “We anticipate enrollment will grow in the fall semester and freezing tuition and fees will help students. It certainly will not hurt our enrollment this fall.”
Out-of-state tuition will also remain unchanged at $5,160 a year for a full-time student.
