Maine’s community college system is reporting record enrollments this fall, driven in part by a free tuition program produced by the Mills administration.

The system reported more than 20,000 students throughout the system this fall, a 10% jump in fall enrollments compared to last year.

“This is what happens when you intentionally and strategically make college affordable, relevant, and accessible,” said David Daigler, the system’s president. “This last year has been a period of tremendous growth for us, made possible by the dedication and excellence of our incredible employees and partners.”

Of the system’s seven campuses, Washington County Community College saw the greatest jump in enrollments this fall, an 18% increase, followed by Central Maine Community College with 15%. 

Officials with the system said the increase was partly due to the Free College program, proposed by Gov. Janet Mills and enacted by the state legislature in 2022. The program provides free tuition and fees for recent high school graduates. Since the program launched in the fall of 2022, the community college system has had more than 17,000 students enroll through it.

System officials also said “an increase in high school students taking early college courses, increased capacity in popular academic programs, and expanded hours with more night and weekend classes” contributed to the increase. More students from last year are also returning this year, they said.