Lewiston Sun Journal, July 2, 2003
New name, new mission, same old tuition
A $1 million gift will ease the burden on community college
students
Gov. John Baldacci helped launch Maine's community colleges Wednesday with some good news: a $1 million gift from the Osher Foundation and a state match of $1million will allow the schools to freeze tuition for the next two years.
Tuition at the seven former technical colleges will remain at its current level of $68 per credit hour or about $2,040 a year for the next two years.
The governor announced the gift at a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, and an afternoon event at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor. The gift includes the University of Maine System and Maine Maritime Academy, which will use the funds for scholarships.
Surrounded by some of the first community college students, dressed in their new college T-shirts, the governor said, "On this historic day, as we inaugurate Maine's community college system, our message to those contemplating college is: We're lowering barriers to higher education."
By establishing a true community college system and keeping the cost affordable, the state is opening the door of college to thousands of Mainers in this and future generations, Baldacci said.
At the newly christened Central Maine Community College in Auburn, House Speaker Patrick Colwell exclaimed, "It's a bright new day."
He was referring to the official name change and the community college mission of open enrollment and affordable higher education.
Colwell was one of the prime sponsors of the bill that created Maine's community colleges.
"It was an honor to co-sponsor the legislation that directed the Maine Technical College System to make the transition to the Community College System," Colwell said Tuesday.
The money
The $1 million state match for the Osher gift was part of the biennial budget passed by the Legislature in March. Lawmakers agreed to set aside the money, which was targeted in the governor's budget for higher education, for a joint proposal to the Osher Foundation.
The Maine Community College System and University of Maine systems will each receive $950,000—half from the foundation, half from the state. Maine Maritime Academy will receive $100,000.
Maine Community College System President John Fitzsimmons said the System will raise another $950,000 over the next five years to create an endowment fund for annual scholarships.
The fund is expected to generate about $50,000 each year for the scholarships.
Over the past few years, the foundation has supported the evolution of the technical colleges to community colleges by giving $3.5 million to fund scholarships for community college students.
The last time the former Maine Technical College System raised tuition was in 1998. The recent two-year freeze will mean six straight years without an increase.