Applicants inundate community colleges; The Maine system requests additional state funding to accommodate a 16 percent increase in fall applications
BYLINE: BETH QUIMBY Staff Writer
The number of people applying for fall admission to the Maine Community College System has increased 16 percent since last year.
System President John Fitzsimmons said the increase continues a growth trend that saw a 47 percent jump in enrollment at the system's seven community colleges in the past four years, to 11,153 students this school year.
That growth is expected to influence state lawmakers as they consider proposals to increase funding for community colleges by as much as $20.3 million over the next two years.
The jump in applications means more Mainers are recognizing the value of higher education, Fitzsimmons said, but the trend also has resulted in waiting lists for more than two dozen programs offered at the colleges.
''When a Maine person finally crosses the threshold and says 'I am really open to going to school,' the saddest moment is to tell that person, 'Sorry, there is no room,'<!-- 2002(unknown) -->'' Fitzsimmons said. Southern Maine Community College in South Portland has turned away 1,100 applicants for its health sciences programs and 450 for various technical programs this year, he said.
Those applicants will have to wait for spots in their desired classes. Many choose to take general-studies courses while they wait, but others don't enroll at all.
Fitzsimmons said the increase in applications, which numbered 8,065 by the end of April, is partly a result of the low cost of community college. At $78 per credit hour, it is the cheapest college tuition in Maine.
He also attributed the increase to the high rate of success that Maine's public colleges have in placing graduates in the job market. Ninety-five percent are placed in jobs after graduation, with 96 percent of those finding jobs in Maine.
Some community college students said the cheap tuition and the ability to transfer into the University of Maine System makes community college attractive.
''A lot of people come here because it is inexpensive. That is why I did,'' said Ashley Bergeron, 18, of Shapleigh, a student at SMCC. She is transferring to the University of Southern Maine's nursing program as a sophomore next year.
The enrollment growth at the community colleges was largely responsible for an 8 percent decline in enrollment since 2002 at USM, where the $180-a-credit-hour tuition is more than double the cost of community college.
Community colleges experiencing the biggest increases in applications for the fall were SMCC, 22 percent; Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, 18 percent; and Washington County Community College in Calais, 36 percent.
Applications at Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield and Central Maine Community College in Auburn rose 9 percent, while York County Community College in Wells and Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle saw increases of 7 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
''For many people, community college is the only way to fit higher education into their lives,'' said Helen Pelletier, interim director of public affairs for the system.
The downside to all the growth, said Fitzsimmons, is the increased waiting times to get into some of the most popular programs, including nursing, automotive technology and heating and air conditioning. Last fall, 140 people showed up at an information session on York County Community College's new nursing program, which has openings for 16 students.
Many students who can't get into their major decide to enroll and complete their basic courses while they wait for a spot, Fitzsimmons said. He said some wait as long as a year after they complete their general studies for room in their desired major.
That is why Fitzsimmons has asked the Legislature to increase funding for the system, which is operating on a $46 million annual budget this year. ''The answer is not to add tuition hikes, because then you are denying the very people you are there to serve,'' he said.
The Governor's Community College Advisory Council has recommended a $20.3 million increase in the system's budget, enough to support another 4,000 students. Gov. John Baldacci's budget proposal would increase community college funding by $5.7 million during the next two years.
Rep. Lawrence Bliss, D-South Portland, has filed a bill that would increase the community college budget by $15 million in two years. That bill, which received thumbs up from the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, has 76 co-sponsors and is before the Appropriations and Fiscal Affairs Committee.
The full Legislature is expected to take up the funding bill in the next two weeks, Pelletier said.
Staff Writer Beth Quimby can be contacted at 791-6363 or at: