Maine community colleges are officially free! Well, for students affected by the pandemic.

Students that graduated high school between 2020 and 2023 are eligible for two free years of full time enrollment at any of Maine’s seven community colleges. This comes after the supplemental budget Governor Janet Mills signed last Wednesday.

Those interested in taking advantage of this opportunity can go straight to Maine’s community colleges’ website, where they will find a form to submit their information: Free College 2022

Tuition fees at SMCC come out to about $3,800 for instate students. Offering free tuition to those who had their high school experience affected by the pandemic is a huge step towards making education affordable for all.

I’ve been enrolled at SMCC since 2019, and I know my experience here has been greatly impacted by the pandemic. I am lucky enough to receive financial aid and scholarships to cover my tuition costs.

I know not everyone is as lucky as I have been. I encourage you to fill out my survey regarding this initiative here: Free Community College For Mainers Survey

Next week I will report on my findings from this survey. I can’t wait to hear from all of you!