Growing partnership

The unexpected popularity of Maine’s new Community College Partnership between the technical colleges and University of Maine systems is evidence that what appeared to be a state quirk was really a lack of opportunity. Maine should be encouraged by the higher-than-expected participation rates and look for ways to further expand the partnership.

The anomaly here was this: Maine students start their academic careers strongly, ranking among the very best nationally in fourth- and eighth-grade tests. They continue to be leaders through high school, with some of the better national scores in 11th grade and excellent graduation rates. Then, they disappear. Not actually, of course, but practically. Maine has among the lowest rates for high school students going on to college.

A fistful of studies and a lot of government pondering produced recommendations that pointed to cost as a factor and also carefully mentioned culture — the atmosphere that surrounds students as they grow. In some places in Maine, there is a broad expectation that students have at least four more years of schooling after high-school graduation. In others, that expectation is nothing more than a nebulous option, one choice that might be OK but involves the uncomfortable demand of leaving home — and perhaps never living there again.

When Gov. Angus King proposed the Community College Partnership in 1998 he described a system that would provide low-cost, low-stress access to college close to home. The partnership became a series of agreements between the two systems to allow students to move from one to the other without hassle, serving as encouragement to start college and then continue it beyond the associate-degree level.

The result to date is impressive: The technical colleges have triple the number of students in their associate of arts degree program; within the university system’s dozen centers — in Houlton, Ellsworth, Millinocket, Bath-Brunswick, Thomaston and elsewhere — enrollment is up 15 percent, at least some of which could be attributed to the opportunities provided by the partnership. At the University College at Bangor, a great place to start a college career, enrollment is up 20 percent.

Lawmakers in Augusta should be proud of their support for this partnership, but they should also see that there is much more to do — such as bringing the price of tuition down to at least the national average for community colleges. That may take several years to accomplish, but in the meantime, the Legislature should back two proposals to increase the availability of financial aid to community-college students: $2 million would match a scholarship established by Bernard Osher to lower costs for students, and a $5 million proposal would offer financial support to high-need students.

Providing adequate places for these new college students at the current campuses should also be high on lawmakers’ lists. UCB, for instance, wants to reopen three halls for residential use; Lewiston-Auburn College needs to build more space for computer labs, classrooms and library space; the University of Maine at Presque Isle wants to renovate a vacant supermarket in Houlton to provide opportunities there.

Maine students do exceptionally well when given a chance. Though the Community College Partnership is light on new bricks and mortar, its emphasis on access already make it an institution of particular value. With legislative support this session, even more Maine students could find success in higher education.