Spring Point Residence Hall at the Southern Maine Community College in South Portland in February 2022. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald

For three years, Maine’s community colleges have offered free tuition to graduating high schoolers. But for many, meeting their other needs — like housing, food and counseling — is still out of reach. That’s why Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, is sponsoring a bill that would provide $6 million annually for wraparound services at the state’s seven community colleges.

Gov. Janet Mills introduced the free community college program in early 2022 with a $20 million price tag. She included $25 million to continue that program in her two-year proposed budget, and make it permanent.

Since it went into place, enrollment at Maine’s community colleges has reached an all-time high — growing 10% since last year, with more than 21,000 students in the fall.

“However, we know that increased enrollment also brings increased need,” Daughtry testified Monday during a public hearing on the bill before the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee. “More students require support to complete their education and earn a credential of value.”

Her bill would appropriate $6 million for the 2025-26 school year, and $6.3 million the following year. Daughtry said the funding would expand academic counseling and advising services, tutoring, food and clothing pantries, child care, financial aid for housing, emergency aid for those in financial crisis and support for those who want to transfer into the University of Maine System.

Getting the bill to pass, however, will likely be challenging. A similar bill has come in front of Legislature several times, and after warnings from Mills of a tight budget year, the Maine Senate last week killed a supplemental budget after most Republicans voted against it and is now working to pass a bare-bones, “continuing services” budget to avoid a government shutdown.

Lawmakers are also anxious about the status of federal funding as President Donald Trump appears to target the state.

In response to a question about the high price tag, Daughtry told lawmakers she knows there are tough conversations happening around funding decisions, and just asked that lawmakers consider her bill amid that conversation.

Leaders and educators from across the Maine Community College System turned out Monday morning to support the bill. Many testified that students entering community college today had their high school experience interrupted by the pandemic, and need more academic and emotional support than previous generations.

“The community colleges must provide new and additional resources to help these students succeed,” said David Daigler, president of the Maine Community College System. He said the money would allow the colleges to hire tutors, expand staffing at language labs and libraries, and expand counseling.

Mike Lovejoy, department chair of the Electrician Technology Program at York County Community College in Wells, testified that the program’s success hinges on ensuring access to tutoring, mental health support, food and housing. “Student barriers to completing credentials are not always academic,” Lovejoy said.

Elizabeth True, vice president of Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, said many students enter community college without the skills to succeed.

“At least 38% of our students at EMCC are identified as first-generation college students, without the support and expertise of parents who are familiar with the challenges and resources of college,” True said. “All of our traditional-age students … survived a few years of pandemic schooling, and survival was really their only goal.

“They’ve now entered college without having to experience enough academic challenge and support in high school, through no fault of their own, and they’re significantly behind in academic, cognitive and psycho-social development,” she said.