An aerial view in July 2019 of Central Maine Neighborhood School in Auburn. The varsity is seeing a spike in enrollment for this fall. Russ Dillingham/Solar Journal file
Neighborhood schools in Central Maine are seeing a lift in enrollment this fall, partly as a result of a state program permitting current highschool graduates to attend tuition-free.
At Central Maine Neighborhood School in Auburn, 47% extra college students have enrolled for the autumn semester in comparison with the identical time final yr, in line with Affiliate Dean of Enrollment Managements Andrew Morong. At Kennebec Valley Neighborhood School in Fairfield and Hinckley, enrollment is up 12%.
Statewide, the Maine Neighborhood School System has seen 11% extra purposes, barely greater than in 2019, in line with the Portland Press Herald. Final yr, enrollment was down 13% from the autumn of 2019.
Rising second-year college students Emily Strachan of Lewiston, left, Ryan Crockett of Previous Orchard Seaside, middle, and Kali Thompson of Waterville collect April 26 on the eating commons at Central Maine Neighborhood School in Auburn. Andree Kehn/Solar Journal file picture
Maine’s free tuition has had a really huge influence on CMCC’s surge in purposes, Morong mentioned, noting that the faculty is on observe to method or exceed its report enrollment of three,200 college students within the fall of 2019. The faculty has already exceeded 3,000 purposes, a significant benchmark for admissions.
College students eligible for the free two years of tuition are those that graduated highschool, or earned their GED or highschool diploma equal in 2020 although 2023. They will enroll at any of the seven neighborhood schools however should be in a full-time diploma program.
The free school scholarship covers the price of tuition and different obligatory charges for 2 years, however not the price of books, provides and room and board.
At CMCC, quite a few packages have 50% or extra college students enrolled for the autumn than final yr, together with automotive know-how; enterprise administration and administration; graphic communication; electrical mechanical know-how; structure and civil engineering; heating, air flow and cooling know-how; and life sciences, a observe which prepares college students for superior examine in drugs, pharmacy and dental careers.
Morong attributed CMCC’s success partly to a powerful advertising and marketing marketing campaign crafted even earlier than Gov. Janet Mills authorized this system. The varsity was prepared with statewide ads in print, social media, TV and even on streaming companies the second the invoice was signed.
The variety of scheduled campus excursions has been “ridiculous,” Morong mentioned, and dozens of rising highschool seniors have verbally dedicated to attending the varsity because of the state scholarship. The workplace of admissions even receives a few dozen calls every week from mother and father hoping this system will develop to incorporate their youngsters, who will graduate too late to make the most of this system.
Kennebec Valley Neighborhood School in Fairfield accomplished a 2,000-square-foot lab in February 2021 that expands its potential to coach college students to put in and restore warmth pumps. The state’s neighborhood schools are seeing a lift in enrollment, partly due to a brand new state tuition program. Photograph courtesy of KVCC
KENNEBEC VALLEY
Although the variety of purposes has dropped 3% compared to the previous educational yr, enrollment at KVCC is up 12%, in line with school information.
Enrollment for the upcoming educational yr is at 250 college students, the place within the 2021 educational yr, it was at 223, nearer to the enrollment price it had earlier than the pandemic, at 360 college students.
CJ McKenna, the dean of scholar affairs and enrollment at KVCC, mentioned purposes normally rise throughout the month of August, a month earlier than the autumn semester begins, however they anticipate a big “bump” from the free school program. He mentioned this yr it is likely to be troublesome to inform if the bump is from the free school initiative.
Because the free school solely applies to current highschool graduates and the common neighborhood school scholar is 27 and between the ages of 17 and 60, the initiative solely applies to particular college students, nevertheless it has been “very fashionable” amongst highschool graduates, McKenna mentioned.
“With out the initiatives, we might nonetheless get enrollment, however now it places us on a brief checklist of faculties folks can select from, possibly greater than they’d have just a few years in the past,” McKenna mentioned.
Even when college students are usually not eligible without spending a dime school, they may earn sufficient monetary help to deliver the associated fee all the way down to a extra reasonably priced price.
The Maine Neighborhood School System says it has the lowest tuition charges for neighborhood schools in New England. Tuition would usually be $2,880 a yr for in-state college students or $5,760 for out-of-state college students.
Maine’s seven neighborhood schools are: Japanese Maine Neighborhood School in Bangor, Northern Maine Neighborhood School in Presque Isle, Southern Maine Neighborhood School in South Portland and Brunswick, Washington County Neighborhood School in Calais, and York County Neighborhood School in York, along with CMCC and KVCC.
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