Maine's seven community colleges freeze tuition for 2017-18

Tuition and fees at Maine’s seven community colleges will remain unchanged for the coming academic year, thanks to a boost in state funding of the community college system approved by the 128th Legislature.

Tuition for Maine students will remain at $92 per credit hour. For a full-time student taking 30 credits, the annual cost of tuition and fees will average $3,600.

Tuition and fees at Maine’s seven community colleges have been the lowest in New England for several years and on par with the national average.

“Maine has the lowest per capita income and the lowest college attainment rate in New England,” Maine Community College System President Derek Langhauser said in a news release. “Our board of trustees and our colleges are committed to keeping our institutions as affordable as possible so that more Maine people can access higher education and acquire the skills they need to build a brighter future.”

MCCS’s board of trustees had requested the increase in the state’s appropriation that made this year’s freeze possible.

Registration remains open for students interested in enrolling in classes and programs of study for the fall 2017 semester in which the majority of classes begin between Aug. 28 and Sept. 5. However, many sections of community college classes start later in the fall to accommodate the needs of those who work in industries such as hospitality and construction and whose schedules do not align with the traditional fall semester.