To: Governor Janet T. Mills
Members of the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs
From: David J. Daigler, President, Maine Community College System
RE: 2023 Annual Free College Report
Date: October 1, 2023
It is my pleasure to submit the annual report on the Maine Free College initiative at Maine’s community
colleges.
This report is in response to LD 1995, a Supplemental Budget bill signed by the governor on April 20,
2022 establishing the Free College Scholarship. The law requires the Maine Community College System
to submit a report to the Governor and the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs
on the use and success of the program.
This report profiles the Maine Free College initiative in 2022-23, the first academic year the scholarship
was available. The state’s charge was to use the state’s $20 million investment to provide tuition-free
community college to at least 8,000 pandemic-era students from 2020-23, and we are on track to meet
those goals by the end of the academic year 2023-2024.
• In 2022-23, MCCS enrolled 6,577 Free College students, with 2023-24 enrollment still to come.
• Of the $20 million, MCCS distributed $10.2 million in Free College Scholarships.
And while overall 2022-23 enrollment was up 12 percent, it remained short of pre-pandemic 2019-20
enrollment. While Free College certainly played a role in increasing enrollment, the scholarship was not
the only factor.
The 2022-23 academic year is also when Maine’s community colleges:
• Doubled our nursing program capacity, adding 200 spaces, and expanded or added other high-
demand programs.
• Eased pandemic-related dampers and expanded housing capacity by reverting dorm rooms
limited to singles due to COVID back to doubles. Nationwide, pandemic-era students began
returning to college: Enrollment at public two-year colleges increased about half a percent, while
enrollment at four-year colleges was down 1.2 percent.
• Experienced a 300 percent increase in enrollment in short-term workforce training programs, to
12,000 students in 2022-23, up from 3,000 students in 2021-22.
1
• Added new scholarships for short-term workforce graduates who subsequently enroll in degree
and certificate programs. In 2022-23, 723 scholarships were awarded.
In all, Maine’s community colleges are welcoming students in greater numbers across all our programs.
That’s excellent news for the students, who are learning the skills they need for good-paying jobs, and
for the state, which is getting more skilled workers entering the workforce faster.
The community colleges are proud to be the stewards of this transformational scholarship program that
has already benefitted so many students, families, and communities. It would not have happened without
the vision and determination of the Mills administration and the bipartisan support of the 131
st
Legislature. We look forward to continuing this worthy and valuable partnership.
2
FREE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP INITIATIVE
2023 ANNUAL REPORT
Submitted to the 131
st
Legislature’s Members of the Joint Standing Committee
on Education and Cultural Affairs and Governor Janet T. Mills
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Letter from President Daigler
4 Executive Summary
5 Overview
6-8 Key Goals and Strategies
Appendix 1 Free College Data
3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Maine Free College initiative was a major success in its first year: re-engaging pandemic-impacted
high school graduates who didn’t enroll in college after graduation back to higher ed, hitting financial
targets, and returning MCCS systemwide enrollment to near pre-pandemic levels. Created and launched
when two-year college enrollments were crashing nationwide, the promise of tuition-free college was a
hopeful, powerful incentive for high school graduates to emerge from the pandemic and return or start
college for focused, purposeful, low-cost academic programs that prepare them for either a good job or
transfer to a four-year college, saving half the cost of a four-year degree. The outcomes include:
• Increasing overall enrollment 12 percent in 2022-23, returning enrollment to near pre-
pandemic (2019-20) levels. Free College students accounted for 46 percent of degree-seeking
students, or 6,557 students out of 14,159.
• Successfully re-engaging pandemic-era students who had not enrolled anywhere after
graduating high school. National Student Clearinghouse data shows that 749 Free College
students from the classes of 2020 and 2021 had never attended college anywhere before enrolling
at a Maine community college in Fall 2022.
• Attracting more “direct-from-high-school” graduating seniors: Pre-pandemic, MCCS
enrolled about 2,200 direct-from-high-school students each fall. In Fall 2022, MCCS enrolled
2,481 direct-from-high-school graduates, a gain of 281 students.
• Keeping Maine dollars in-state, benefiting Maine students and families: 95 percent of Free
College students were from Maine, the same as for non-Free College students.
• Increasing Student Success: Fall-to-spring retention rates were higher for Maine Free College
students (74 percent) than for non-Free College students (72 percent.)
4
OVERVIEW
The Maine Free College initiative was intended to benefit high school graduates most severely affected
by the COVID-19 pandemic—those in the classes of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023—by allowing them to
attend Maine’s community colleges without paying any tuition or mandatory fees.
In 2023, the Legislature extended the Free College Scholarship to the classes of 2024 and 2025 and
made minor program adjustments to increase access and retention.
To qualify for the scholarship today, students must graduate from high school or earn the equivalent of a
diploma in a qualifying year, pursue a two-year associate degree or a one-year certificate at least part-
time, live in Maine while enrolled, fill out the FAFSA, and accept any state or federal grant aid before
the Free College scholarship is applied.
The Free College Scholarship benefits only a limited number of the people we serve. The average age of
Maine community college degree-seeking students is 25 years old, and 34 percent of our non-Early
College students are 25 or older.
In total, MCCS serves more than 29,000 people a year through a broad range of two-year degree
programs, one-year certificate programs, advanced certificates, continuing education, and short-term
workforce training courses.
A long-time high school counselor described the scholarship’s impact this way:
5
“As school counselors, we have talked about community colleges more in the
past year than perhaps the previous (sometimes considerable) years in the field
combined. Kids that never saw themselves as “college material”
are legit going to college. Undecided students can now proudly proclaim “I
don’t know what I want to do, but I am going to community college to figure it
out.”
First generation kids and families are finally able to consider
being the first to pursue education after high school because
they know it won’t be a money pit that leads to financial ruin.
“Four-year college kids” who have no interest in a four-year college program now
have cover to make the decision that is best for them without undue outside
influence. And financially savvy kids are taking advantage of 2+2 transfer
programs to cut costs, and therefore amassing less student loan debt.”
– Camden Hills Regional High School Counselor Piet Lammert
KEY GOALS AND STRATEGIES
1. Remove financial barriers to college for students most affected by the pandemic
Community colleges largely serve first-generation, low-income students. Even pre-pandemic, these
students and families were the least able to consider or afford college. The pandemic made a bad
situation worse, with job losses hitting lower-income families hardest – and jeopardizing the futures of
teenagers in those households. Between 2019 and 2021, nationwide enrollment at two-year public
colleges dropped 17.5 percent, compared to less than 1 percent at four-year colleges. Graduate
enrollment increased 5.4 percent over those same two years.
2. Motivate high school students to graduate and stay in Maine, attract working families to Maine
The promise of tuition-free college provides high school students with good reason to not just graduate
high school, but to stay in Maine instead of leaving to pursue college or work elsewhere. It’s also a
benefit for Maine employers looking to attract out-of-state workers by offering a free in-state college
benefit for their children. The scholarship, by being open to out-of-state high school graduates,
encourages in-migration of young people to Maine, where they contribute to the economy during their
college years and likely stay for work after graduation. Traditionally, 90 percent of Maine community
college graduates stay in Maine after graduation.
3. Increase the number of skilled workers entering the Maine workforce
Some students can flounder when
they go to college, taking random
classes without a clear goal in mind
and struggling to find a unifying
theme to their education. The Free
College scholarship onboarding
process requires students to enroll in a
specific one-year certificate or two-
year associate degree program, meet
with an advisor, and map out a clear
academic pathway. Students cannot
get the scholarship if they are “undeclared.” This ensures students benefit from up-front advice from
trained advisors, know what students support is available to them, and maximizes their chances of
success.
6
“Personally, I considered nurses the heroes of the
pandemic, and this inspired me to want to pursue
becoming a nurse.
The Free College Scholarship
is a call to action, and I am answering that
call to step up, and be what my state needs
me to be. I am very appreciative of the opportunity
and will not let it go to waste.” – Kierstyn Lyons, CMCC
4. Maximize the state’s investment
Intentionally making the scholarship a so-called “last dollar” scholarship is intended to stretch the state’s
investment over the longest period. By tapping into state and federal grant aid first, many Free College
students do not even need any funds from the $20 million Free College Scholarship allocation because
the $3,700 annual cost of tuition and mandatory fees is covered by grant aid.
In 2022-23, MCCS distributed $10.2 million in Free College scholarship money, after Free College
students collected $11.4 million in federal Pell Grants and $4.9 million in State of Maine Grants. Of the
6,577 Free College students, 3,826 received Free College scholarships, for an average amount of $2,671.
Many lower-income students don’t even
apply to college because they presume
they can’t afford it – not realizing they
would be eligible for federal and state
grants that cover the low costs of a
community college education. Requiring
the FAFSA, which unveils what aid
students qualify for, was an important
element of the initiative. Admissions
officers say many Free College students
and families were surprised to learn that
they qualified for grant aid.
To meet these goals, we embraced the following strategies:
Keep it simple: Many prospective students have little to no experience or resources when enrolling
in college, and the experience can be daunting. Minimal requirements, a streamlined process, strong
advisory support, and clear guardrails emerged as high priorities in shaping the scholarship
requirements.
Include adult learners: Not everyone gets a high school diploma. The scholarship is available to
adult and alternative learners who have proven they have the desire and ability to pursue their education
by passing the Hi-SET or its equivalent. This is particularly important for re-capturing people who left
high school but returned to education later in life, and New Mainers establishing a local education
record.
Provide tailored support to Free College students: Many pandemic-era students missed out
on “college prep” and needed more help choosing a college and classes. Each Free College student is
assigned an advisor to assist them with onboarding, resources, and mapping out academic pathways.
7
“I was not really sure what I wanted to do when it
came to college. Spending thousands of dollars to
figure it out really made me nervous, especially
with all the talk around the country about student
loan debt. The Free College Scholarship
really gave me the peace of mind and
the extra bump in the right direction to
start college. – Mikenzie Melendez, CMCC
Increase transfer opportunities to four-year colleges: The colleges have hundreds of
existing transfer opportunities, and the Free College Scholarship makes this work even more vital. A
block transfer agreement with the University of Maine System, established in 2015, guarantees that up
to 35 general education credits in an Associate of Arts program will transfer to any of our 15 public
institutions. Every year, about 600 community college students transfer to the UMS system. This year,
Maine is joining the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) New England Transfer
Guarantee program, streamlining the path for community college graduates with an eligible GPA to
transfer to four-year colleges in Maine.
Work closely with partners:
Across the state, many people and
organizations helped spread
awareness of the scholarship. We are
particularly grateful to the many
Maine high school counselors,
teachers, coaches, and other leaders
who told their students about this
opportunity; the Adult Education
community; the Finance Authority of
Maine (FAME); the governor’s
office, legislators and the state
departments of education, labor, and
economic and community development; and education partners across the state. The success of Free
College this year was truly a team effort!
Improve the scholarship program where possible: In keeping with our commitment to being
nimble and responsive, Maine’s community colleges closely review the Free College student experience.
Just weeks into the Fall 2022 semester, advisors and instructors noted that some students were struggling
to meet the full-time enrollment requirement and feared losing the scholarship if they needed to drop a
class. That led to a recommendation, later adopted by the Legislature, to allow scholarship students to
attend part-time. Students must now graduate within 200 percent of completion time, which is two years
for a certificate, and four years for an associate degree. Another change was allowing high school
graduates to enroll up to two years after high school, since many students need to experience “real life”
for a few years before realizing the value of a degree.
Keep Maine competitive: Free College is now in place in more than half the states, and Maine
doesn’t want to be left behind or be less competitive in attracting workers. Data show college graduates
have higher earning power, enter a career track faster, are more “recession-proof,” and earn significantly
more money over their careers than high school graduates. It’s a smart investment, with considerable
ROI, and will help support a strong state economy.
8
Commissioner Heather Johnson was at a store in
Skowhegan when a young woman and her mother got in
line behind her. They’d just come from
Kennebec Valley Community College
orientation, and the young woman was so
excited that she qualified for free college.
“They were both so happy. They said they weren’t sure
what she was going to do before but with this as a
choice she can go to school. She’s going to live at home
and can work around classes and can make it all work.”
MAINE FREE COLLEGE REPORT DATA
Appendix 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Enrollment Information
2 2022-2023 Enrollment Highlights
3-5 College-Going Enrollment Trends
6 Maine College Enrollment Trends
7 Total College Enrollment in Maine
Free College Student Information
8 Demographics
9 Areas of Study
10-11 Top Sending High Schools
12 Student Success Metrics
13 Financial Disbursements
2022-2023 Enrollment Highlights
How many Free College students were enrolled?
Headcount
Annual
(Deduplicated)
Fall
2022
Spring
2023
Summer
2023
TOTAL Headcount
23,661
17,012
14,152
5,586
Degree-Seeking Headcount
14,159
11,272
10,191
4,031
Maine Free College Headcount
6,557
5,550
4,926
1,719
% of Degree-Seekers who were Free College Students
46.3%
49.2%
48.3%
42.6%
How many credits did Free College students take?
Total Credits
Annual
Fall
2022
Spring
2023
Summer
2023
ALL Student Total Credits
293,675.4
142,951.5
120,731.4
29,992.5
Degree-Seeking Total Credits
246,051.0
118,250.5
104,253.0
23,547.5
Maine Free College Total Credits
137,161.0
68,815.5
58,450.5
9,895.0
% of Degree-Seeker Credits that were Free College
55.7%
58.2%
56.1%
42.0%
Which high school graduating classes did they come from?
Headcount
Total
Class of
2022
Class of
2021
Class of
2020
Headcount
6,557
2,857
2,160
1,540
Percent of Total
100%
44%
33%
23%
MCCS DataMart
2
College-Going Enrollment Trends
What are the statewide college enrollment trends?
The following charts show National Student Clearinghouse data on how many Maine high
school graduates go to college, and whether those colleges are in Maine or out-of-state, and
whether they are two-year or four-year colleges.
Of note:
• Pre-pandemic, Maine’s college-going rate was consistently at 62 percent, with a steady
71 percent attending a Maine college. Of those college-going grads, a steady 75
percent enrolled at a four-year college and 25 percent enrolled at a two-year college.
• In 2022, the college-going rate remained stubbornly low at 56 percent. The number of
graduates enrolling in four-year colleges or two year-colleges shifted five percent, from
75%-25% in 2019 to 70%-30% in 2022. In whole numbers, that five percent difference
represents a total of 351 additional students who chose to attend a two-year college
instead of a four-year college.
3
National Student Clearinghouse
4
National Student Clearinghouse
5
College-Going Trends of Maine’s High School Graduates
How many Maine high school graduates went to college? Did they attend a public or private college?
Did they attend a 4-year or 2-year college? Did they attend college in Maine or out-of-state? What are the
differences between pre-pandemic 2019 figures and 2022?
Class of
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
# change
2019-22
% change
2019-22
Total # Maine HS
graduates
12,659
12,737
12,573
12,665
12,901
12,440
12,250
12,289
<612>
<4.7%>
Total enrolled in college
7,918
7,880
7,719
7,887
7,948
7,123
6,736
6,880
<1,068>
<13.4%>
PUBLIC V. PRIVATE?
Total in Public colleges
5,199
5,110
5,022
5,116
5,382
4,797
4,450
4,709
<673>
<12.5%>
Total in Private colleges
2,719
2,770
2,697
2,771
2,566
2,326
2,286
2,171
<395>
<15%>
4-YEAR V. 2-YEAR?
Total in 4-Year colleges
5,902
5,907
5,780
5,972
5,944
5,306
5,248
4,809
<1,135>
<19.1%>
Total in 2-Year colleges
2,016
1,973
1,939
1,915
2,004
1,817
1,488
2,071
67
3.3%
IN-STATE V. OUT-OF-STATE?
Total In-State colleges
5,518
5,586
5,430
5,650
5,690
5,269
4,635
4,866
<824>
<14.5%>
Total Out-of-State colleges
2,400
2,294
2,289
2,237
2,258
1,854
2,101
2,014
<244>
<10.8%>
National Student Clearinghouse
6
Total College Enrollment in Maine
How many college students are there in Maine? Do they attend public 2-year colleges, public 4-year
colleges or private nonprofit 4-year colleges?
Estimated
Total
Enrollment
Fall 2017
Fall 2018
Fall 2019
Fall 2020
Fall 2021
Fall 2022
Enrollment
Enrollment
%
Change
from
Previous
Year
Enrollment
%
Change
from
Previous
Year
Enrollment
%
Change
from
Previous
Year
Enrollment
%
Change
from
Previous
Year
Enrollment
% Change
from
Previous
Year
Maine
Total
Enrollment
72,407
73,120
1.0%
73,298
0.2%
70,772
-3.4%
69,087
-2.4%
73,093
5.8%
Maine Public
4-year
31,075
31,712
2.1%
31,826
0.4%
31,673
-0.5%
31,022
-2.1%
31,086
0.2%
Maine Public
2-year
16,532
16,631
0.6%
17,104
2.8%
15,847
-7.4%
14,970
-5.5%
17,054
13.9%
Maine Private
nonprofit
4-year
24,801
24,777
-0.1%
24,367
-1.7%
23,251
-4.6%
3,095
-0.7%
24,953
8.0%
National Student Clearinghouse
https://nscresearchcenter.org/current-term-enrollment-estimates/ Fall 2022 Appendix
7
Free College Students: Demographics
Residency
All Degree-Seeking
Maine Free College
#
%
#
%
In-State
13,476
95.2%
6,256
95.1%
Out-of-State
683
4.8%
321
4.9%
Total
14,159
100.0%
6,577
100.0%
Gender
All Degree-Seeking
Maine Free College
#
%
#
%
Female
8,255
58.3%
3,357
51.0%
Male
5,805
41.0%
3,155
48.0%
Other
99
0.7%
65
1.0%
Total
14,159
100.0%
6,577
100.0%
Race / Ethnicity
All Degree-Seeking
Maine Free College
#
%
#
%
2 or More Races
422
3.0%
222
3.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native
90
0.6%
38
0.6%
Asian
249
1.8%
100
1.5%
Black or African American
1,200
8.5%
536
8.1%
Hispanic/Latino
535
3.8%
251
3.8%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific
Islander
14
0.1%
5
0.1%
Unknown
390
2.8%
204
3.1%
White
11,259
79.5%
5,221
79.4%
Total
14,159
100.0%
6,577
100.0%
MCCS Datamart
8
Free College Students: Areas of Study
What kind of programs did Free College students pursue?
Level of Study
All Degree-
Seeking
Maine Free
College
Fall 2019 Degree-
Seeking
#
%
#
%
#
%
1-Year Certificate
1,401
9.9%
566
8.6%
950
7.8%
2-Year Associate Degree
12,758
90.1%
6,011
91.4%
11,154
92.2%
Total
14,159
100.0%
6,577
100.0%
12,104
100.0%
Type of Study
All Degree-
Seeking
Maine Free
College
Fall 2019 Degree-
Seeking
#
%
#
%
#
%
Career/Technical
11,156
78.8%
4,945
75.2%
8,541
70.6%
Liberal Arts/Studies
3,003
21.2%
1,632
24.8%
3,563
29.4%
Total
14,159
100.0%
6,577
100.0%
12,104
100.0%
Which degree and certificate programs were most popular?
TOP 10
Associate degree programs (2-year)
General Studies/Liberal Studies…………………..1,220
Business Administration………………………………..641
Health Care…………………………………………………298
Criminal Justice……………………………………………187
Education……………………………………………………170
Early Childhood Education……………………………..169
Human Services……………………………………………151
New Media………………………………………………….149
Automotive………………………………………………….144
Network and System Administration……..………….117
TOP 10
Certificate degree programs (1-year)
Electrician…………………………………………………….102
Heath care………………………………………………………79
Welding………………………………………………………….48
Plumbing………………………………………………………..28
Lineworker………………………………………………………17
Small Business Administration…………………………...15
Human Services………………………………… ……………13
Medical/Clinical Assistant…………………………….…..13
Machine tool Technology…………………………..…….…10
Construction………………………………….…………….….10
MCCS Fall 2022 DataMart
9
Top Sending Maine High Schools (Classes of 2020, 2021, 2022)
Free
College
Students
GED / HiSET / Adult Diploma
252
Lewiston High School
181
Thornton Academy
112
Edward Little High School
107
Bangor High School
96
South Portland High School
95
Noble High School
90
Bonny Eagle High School
87
Home Schooled
83
Sanford High School
82
Leavitt Area High School
76
Massabesic High School
76
Portland High School
75
Messalonskee High School
74
Oxford Hills Comp High School
73
Biddeford High School
72
Windham High School
71
Westbrook High School
70
Brewer High School
66
Skowhegan Area High School
66
Deering High School
64
Hampden Academy
62
Hermon High School
59
Gray-New Gloucester High
School
58
Old Town High School
57
Nokomis Regional High School
56
Oak Hill High School
56
Gorham High School
53
Lawrence High School
52
Brunswick High School
51
Marshwood High School
49
Mount Ararat High School
48
Poland Regional High School
48
Baxter Academy for
Technology & Science
46
Cony High School
46
Lake Region High School
45
Morse High School
45
Scarborough High School
45
Freeport High School
43
Spruce Mountain High School
42
Free
College
Students
Kennebunk High School
41
Freeport High School
43
Spruce Mountain High School
42
Kennebunk High School
41
Fryeburg Academy
40
Mount Blue High School
40
Erskine Academy
39
John Bapst Memorial High School
37
Wells High School
37
Casco Bay High School
35
Greely High School
34
Lincoln Academy
34
Lisbon High School
34
Waterville Senior High School
34
Ellsworth High School
31
Gardiner Area High School
30
Washington Academy
30
Bucksport High School
29
Camden Hills Regional High School
29
Maine Virtual Academy
29
Winslow High School
29
Falmouth High School
27
Mount View High School
27
Dirigo High School
26
Calais High School
25
Monmouth Academy
24
Belfast Area High School
23
York High School
23
Medomak Valley High School
22
Oceanside High School
22
Sacopee Valley High School
22
Maranacook Community School
21
Mountain Valley High School
21
Orono High School
20
Robert W Traip Academy
20
Cape Elizabeth High School
19
Mattanawcook Academy
19
MCCS DataMart
10
Top Sending Maine High Schools – Annually
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Lewiston High School
81
77
82
84
77
60
89
Thornton Academy
52
46
37
44
57
43
55
Edward Little High School
39
57
47
47
40
40
54
Noble High School
36
30
41
32
39
30
51
Sanford High School
56
43
42
48
36
27
48
Bonny Eagle High School
45
54
36
37
31
35
45
Biddeford High School
21
28
41
36
28
28
44
South Portland High School
40
34
36
47
41
37
42
Bangor High School
29
30
23
39
16
23
40
Westbrook High School
25
28
43
35
40
25
40
Portland High School
33
33
27
32
29
17
39
Massabesic High School
43
38
46
39
28
22
37
Windham High School
42
29
31
36
24
29
37
Leavitt Area High School
31
22
29
44
25
28
34
Deering High School
35
25
27
30
33
19
33
Hermon High School
32
25
12
21
15
15
32
Messalonskee High School
35
25
31
25
28
26
31
Brewer High School
33
21
28
26
18
27
30
Mount Ararat School
30
29
25
16
22
18
30
Nokomis Regional High School
26
28
25
23
13
15
29
Old Town High School
12
13
12
12
8
18
29
Gray-New Gloucester High School
27
18
23
20
18
14
28
Lawrence High School
23
34
22
22
24
25
28
Oxford Hills High School
33
35
31
50
28
24
28
Baxter Academy for Technology and
Science
7
11
8
9
6
11
26
Brunswick High School
13
17
21
19
10
13
26
Gorham High School
21
21
23
12
22
14
26
Lake Region High School
30
23
25
20
6
22
26
Fryeburg Academy
10
6
7
12
9
8
25
Oak Hill High School
19
21
24
33
33
12
25
Skowhegan Area High School
26
22
28
28
40
29
25
Marshwood High School
25
25
28
22
22
23
23
Scarborough High School
48
17
15
25
35
15
23
Lisbon High School
11
13
22
13
11
3
22
John Bapst Memorial High School
8
7
4
6
5
4
20
Morse High School
18
25
28
24
23
13
20
Mount Blue High School
22
15
19
18
18
12
20
Presque Isle High School
16
17
20
21
18
16
20
MCCS DataMart
11
Free College Students: Success Metrics
How academically successful were Free College students?
Fall to Spring Retention
All Degree-Seeking
Maine Free College
Non-Maine Free College
Fall 2022 -Spring 2023
71.6%
74.3%
69.1%
MCCS DataMart
With only two semesters of data, it is too soon to draw many conclusions on the academic
success of Maine Free College students. However, data from the first two semesters shows a
strong level of semester-to-semester persistence and academic progress.
To help these students succeed, the colleges require Maine Free College students to choose
one of eight clustered academic pathways and enroll into a two-year degree or one-year
certificate program in that pathway. These pathways provide clear, coherent routes semester-
to-semester that, coupled with guidance from a dedicated pathways advisor, helps the student
stay on track for successful completion.
The pathways’ structure is a national educational model that has demonstrated higher
retention and higher success outcomes for students.
At Maine’s community colleges, the eight pathways are:
• Arts, Humanities, Digital Media and Communication
• Business and Hospitality
• Computer Science and Information Technology
• Education, Human Services, and Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Health Sciences
• Industrial Technology and Transportation
• Public Safety
• Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics
12
Free College Students: Financial Disbursements
How much federal and state grant aid was distributed to Free College
students? How many needed the “last-dollar” Free College Scholarship?
Aid
Disbursed
2022-2023
Pell Grants
State of Maine Grants
Free College Scholarship Grants
Students
Total
disbursed
Average
grant
Students
Total
disbursed
Average
grant
Students
Total
disbursed
Average
grant
Fall 2022
2,388
$5,816,478
$2,436
2,492
$2,737,536
$1,099
3,119
$5,087,804
$1,631
Spring 2023
2,063
$4,899,048
$2,375
2,134
$2,242,601
$1,051
2,682
$4,253,519
$1,586
Summer
2023
466
$676,631
$1,452
0
$0
$0
1,138
$877,338
$771
Annual
Total
2769
$11,392,157
$4,114
2821
$4,980,137
$1,765
3826
$10,218,661
$2,671
MCCS DataMart
13
