Tuition hike at MCCS
Trustees of the Maine Community College System yesterday unanimously voted to increase tuition at its seven campuses this fall by $2 per credit hour, or 2.4%.
Tuition for an in-state student will increase to $84 per credit hour, or $2,520 a year for 30 credit hours. Tuition for out-of-state students will increase to $168 per credit hour, or $5,040 for a full-time student. The tuition increase is necessary to meet a potential $3.7 million deficit in the coming school year, the result of state budget cuts and increases in operating costs, according to a press release from the board. But while fiscal belts are tightened, demand is increasing. According to John Fitzsimmons, president of MCCS, applications for next fall are up as much as 35% at some campuses.
"Layoffs and economic uncertainty are causing more Mainers than ever to turn to the community colleges," Daniel Wathen, the board's chair, said in the release. "Our goal during this difficult time is to keep our programs intact and our tuition affordable so that we can meet the enormous need for our services."
Maine's seven community colleges serve nearly 15,000 credit-seeking students. Since its transition from technical to community colleges in 2003, the colleges have experienced a 63% increase in enrollment.
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