Democrat lawmakers are now looking to extend funding that makes community college free for all Maine residents — a benefit that was introduced as an extraordinary measure three years ago.

To qualify for the proposed program, students would need to (1) enroll in an associate degree, diploma, or certificate program at a participating institution, (2) live in Maine for the duration of their enrollment, and (3) accept all available sources of funding offered to them.

For these students, the payment of all tuition and mandatory fees would be waived. Once granted, a waiver would be valid for up to twice the stated completion time for a given student’s program of study.

Beginning on January 1, 2027, the System would be required to submit a report to the Governor, Education Committee, and Appropriations Committee detailing the “status of the program.”

This bill was sponsored by Rep. Holly T. Sargent (D-York) and cosponsored by a number of other Democratic lawmakers, including members of the party’s legislative leadership.

LD 1118 has been referred to the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee for further consideration, but a public hearing for the bill is not yet on the books.

If approved, this proposal would effectively make permanent a program that has been in place on a temporary basis for the past several years and was originally intended to aid students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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That program — first adopted by lawmakers in 2022 — allowed those who graduated high school in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 to attend Maine’s community colleges tuition-free.

This benefit was recently extended, however, to include students who graduated from high school in 2024 and 2025, representing a roughly $15 million investment by the state.

During the first wave of the program, approximately 6,400 students were estimated to have attended community college in Maine tuition-free.

It is unclear at this time exactly how much it would cost the state annually to make this program a permanent facet of Maine’s community college system.

Another bill, sponsored by Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland), aims to provide additional monetary support for the Maine Community College System.

If approved, LD 680 would provide millions of dollars in ongoing funding to the state’s seven community colleges to “support students’ learning and completion for a credential of value.”

As it is currently written, $6 million would be appropriated for FY2025-26, while $6.3 million would be set aside in FY2026-27.

During the public hearing for this bill held earlier this week, Senate President Daughtry argued that this is “essential ongoing funding” that would help “ensure our community colleges have the resources they need to continue offering high-quality support services to students across the state.”

She also pointed out how enrollment has significantly increased in recent years as a result of the pandemic-related free enrollment programs, suggesting that the additional funding is necessary to help students “overcome barriers to completing their education.”

Representatives from each of Maine’s community colleges also offered testimony in support of this additional funding.

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According to Coursera, 33 states — including Maine — currently offer some form of tuition-free community college education, although the degree to which these benefits are restricted varies from place to place.

For example, some states may stipulate that students must pursue a degree in a particular subject in order to qualify, while others may require that graduates work in the state for at least so many years after graduation.

As it is currently written, LD 1118 would likely make Maine’s free community college program one of the least restrictive in the country.